The Lakers dropped their NBA opener to the Warriors and Russell Westbrook struggled to find his rhythm. He is still amazingly athletic but he’s slowing down, still can’t shoot, and is a liability on defense. But the Lakers knew that going into the season and the entire squad just needs to figure out how to incorporate his skill set into their game plan and get accustomed to having him on the court. They should still win plenty of games, probably enough to win the Western Conference, but it will take a little time for them to gel as a team.
Doug Gottlieb: “How many times do we have to see Russell Westbrook? He’s just a crazy athlete! But, as the athleticism is not what it used to be and the shooting has not improved, that’s kind of who he is...”