At this point, the Los Angeles Lakers trading Russell Westbrook may not be the inevitability many expected it to be.
When interviewing coaching candidates, the team reportedly asked them how they would use Westbrook in their respective offensive systems.
On the other hand, a recent report indicated that L.A. still prefers trading him over keeping him for next season.
But now, there is a new belief among some people in the organization that Westbrook could be a positive element on the Lakers given the right situation.
Via Lakers Daily:
“… a more recent rumor indicates that some within the organization believe that with the right coach and role players on the roster, the concerns regarding Westbrook’s fit could be smoothed out.
“‘And it’s not merely a bluff or tactic to try to regain leverage in trade talks,’ Jovan Buha of The Athletic wrote. ‘That may be an ancillary motive, sure, but per league sources, there is a sentiment among some within the franchise that the right coach and a better supporting cast could smooth over Westbrook’s awkward fit with [LeBron] James and [Anthony] Davis.'”
Westbrook clearly still has game, and if anyone doubted that, he proved it late in the season.
In his last 10 games, he averaged 22.2 points on 52.1 percent shooting from the field and 41.5 percent shooting from 3-point range along with 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game.
Westbrook also did a good job keeping his turnovers down during the second half of the season. He gave up the ball just 2.9 times a game in his last 40 contests, and he ended the season with 3.8 turnovers per game, his lowest such average in eight seasons.
