“I don’t think anyone would sign him for free” Skip Bayless slaps Russell Westbrook with ‘out of sight’ reality check
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Skip bayless and Russell westbrook
The mighty Los Angeles Lakers ended the 2022 season with a 33-49 record, costing them a playoff berth altogether. Many excuses were ousted for the poor display and primary being, failure of Russell Westbrook. Things have been so bad that it is safe to urge that for the Lakers, deciding what to do with Westbrook is by far their biggest question moving forward. They are certainly looking to make amendments to last season’s below-par performances. The front office sacrificed depth for star power when they traded for the former MVP, and now when it did not pay the dividends they had hoped for, they might have to make a move.
Russ struggled alongside co-stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. AD and James were out injured for most of the period, but Russ played 78 games for the team and could manage 31 wins. Lakers have limited assets for any trade and due to Westbrook’s massive contract teams have been reluctant to trade for him, even if he is used as a trade chip. But Skip Bayless has a ruthless prediction for “untradeable” Russell Westbrook.
During a recent episode of ‘Undisputed,’ Skip Bayless shared his views as he feels that getting Russell Westbrook as far away from the team as possible is the best-case scenario. Bayless said, “I told you from day one this is the ultimate scenario, this is the worst case. In some ways, I still believe that with all my heart and soul, that it might be the best case for LeBron and the Lakers to just get him out of sight and out of mind.”
Skip Bayless shuts the door on Russell Westbrook after his Los Angeles Lakers stint
Former MVP and assist leader Russell Westbrook is without any doubt an offensive juggernaut for his teams. He led the league in scoring twice and has massive 194 triple-double stats. But for the Lakers, it meant the least, as Westbrook could not replicate any of those stats in a season played with the franchise. He averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists – but proved ineffective on the floor, as those numbers didn’t win games for his team.
Criticizing Westbrook for his disastrous outing with the Lakers, the 70-year-old analyst said, “It was not like Westbrook was in a slump during January-February, he slumped the whole year. HE was single worst 3-point shooter in Basketball he was the 4th worst free throw shooter, led the league is turnovers, It is a horrendous combination and hard to overcome.”
Skip even predicted that Lakers owners might be willing to lose $47 million and send Westbrook packing. Doing this has to be the absolute last resort for the Lakers. If the franchise did decide to send Russell Westbrook home, it would not be the first time a team did this with a high-paid player, but the Rockets had done the same with healthy John Wall.
In a very practical scenario, the Lakers should tack on picks to trade Russell Westbrook before opting to sit him out all season. It’s safe to assume the Lakers don’t want to throw away another year of LeBron’s career. Even though he’s a questionable fit, LA will need players around Anthony Davis and LeBron James to challenge for the title. Even if Westbrook is not traded, having him on the floor against the weaker side might help them a bit more than sitting him out for a season.
While the Lakers have made some moves in free agency, their supporting cast around LeBron and AD is lackluster. They lack the talent behind their stars to compete with some of the other top teams in the Western Conference itself. Darvin Ham and The Lakers would be pleased to watch at least 50% of OKC Westbrook, which will boost their chances in the league.
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Kunal Chawda
(600 Articles Published)