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The Enigma That’s Russell Westbrook: Can the Lakers Make Him a Winner?

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That’s unfortunately what peoole think about Russell Westbrook. That the issue is more about the Lakers making him a winner than him making the Lakers a winner. This for one of the best point guards to ever play the game.

One thing for sure is Russ doesn’t give a damn about what people think. Like Chris Paul, he’s been written off as a mercurial superstar who’s style of play doesn’t work well within a team game and doesn’t translate into winning. Labeling Russ a loser is the ultimate disrespect, especially when you consider he averaged a triple-double four of the last five years and led his team to a successful winning record in nine of his eleven NBA seasons.

So what gives? Are the critics and pundits right that Russ is a poor fit for what the Lakers need? What does he have to change in his game for the Lakers to win a championship? Can the Lakers make Westbrook a winner?

WHY ARE CRITICS AND HATERS SO DOWN ON RUSS?

I wonder if the trade for Westbrook would have met with the same negative media and fan response had the Lakers had not been publicly on the verge of pulling off a trade for Buddy Hield, who was the perfect fit for the Lakers.

That the Lakers changed course at the last minute and traded for Russ instead of Hield has been the lead story as analysts evaluated the team’s roster moves and questioned whether Buddy would have been a better fit. There’s no question Hield’s high volume, high percentage 3-point shooting would have been a perfect fit on the Lakers but that doesn’t give critics the right to ignore Russ’ potential contributions as a legitimate third superstar.

Westbrook not only is a poor midrange and 3-point shooter but his presence on the court eliminates point guard as a position to create spacing for LeBron and AD, leaving the Lakers with only two positions for shooters. Rather than waste one of those positions on Gasol or Howard, the Lakers superstars proposed that LeBron move to the four and AD to the five so the Lakers could then use the two and three spots for volume 3-point shooters.

Russ at the point unquestionably makes it harder for the Lakers to put shooters on the court but that doesn’t mean they can’t figure it out. After all, Russell Westbrook gives the Lakers a legitimate Superstar Big Three.

WHAT DOES RUSS HAVE TO DO FOR LAKERS TO WIN?

The Lakers have always been a franchise that thinks big and shoots for the moon so it’s no surprise they opted to gamble on a home run in the form of Russell Westbrook over a solid extra base hit in the form of Buddy Hield.

So how do the Lakers transform their gamble on Westbrook into a win? It all starts with the private meeting Russ had with LeBron and AD at LeBron’s home a couple of weeks before free agency. That meeting ignited the trade. During that meeting, Westbrook told James and Davis he would play whatever role they wanted him to play while LeBron and AD suppsedly said they would be willing to move to the four and five to accomodate Russ.

What do the Lakers need from Westbrook? First, they need his superstar playmaking and attack dog mentality as a point guard to allow James to move to the four and play off the ball to save energy and reduce workload. Second, they need Russ to become a pass first point guard other than when attacking the rim. Russ’ job will be to run the offense and create easy shots for teammates, whether LeBron or AD attacking the rim or 3-point shooters.

Westbrook is so talented that he should be able to continue to average a triple- double as a pass first point guard on the Lakers. If he can average 10 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds per game, the Lakers will be champs.

Russ, LeBron, and AD agreeing to play small ball was the trigger that made the Westbrook trade make sense and the biggest strategic change since the Lakers completed the mega trade with the Pels for Davis two years ago.

After two years of accomodating AD’s preference to play the four, the Lakers finally received approval to move Anthony to the five to open up both the shooting guard and small forward positions for needed 3-point shooters. Finally, the Lakers will play their two superstars at their best positions and start games with their best lineup. That change combined with the addition of Russell Westbrook should unleash LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

If Russ is serious about adapting his game to what LeBron and AD need, expect the Lakers to make him a winner and the team to enjoy their best season since LeBron James and Anthony Davis put on purple and gold.

Why Lakers Need to Play Monster Ball With LeBron at Four and AD at Five!

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It’s going to be ‘Game Over’ when the Los Angeles Lakers unleash ‘Monster Ball’ — their long, lethal, bully ball version of small ball — on the rest of the league with Westbrook at the one, James at the four, and Davis at the five.

It took Russell Westbrook meeting with LeBron James and Anthony Davis two weeks before free agency but the Lakers appear to be ready to embrace an enhanced version of the small ball lineup that won the championship. That they traded for Russell Westbrook is a clear sign LeBron James is finally ready to give up being the Lakers’ point guard and Anthony Davis is finally ready to jetisone his objections and accept playing small ball center.

While some doubters and naysayers still predict Vogel will still start Gasol or Howard at center, those with inside info like L.A. Times’ reporter Brad Turner are now reporting James and Davis will start at the four and the five. Rob may be the GM and Frank the coach but the NBA is a superstars’ league and the reason the Lakers are finally going to embrace small ball is the same reason they resisted it before: because that’s what their superstars want.

For a Lakers team that spent two years aggressively reducing the time Davis spent playing the five, the idea of finally joining the modern NBA and embracing small ball with LeBron at the four and AD at the five is exciting.

A Monster Ball Lakers lineup with Westbrook at the one, elite volume 3-point shooters at the two and three, James at the four, and Davis at the five could be the biggest and baddest, fastest and quickest small ball lineup ever.

The NBA got its first taste of the Los Angeles Lakers’ unique version of small ball when they won their 17th championship led by 6′ 9,” 250 lbs LeBron James playing the four and 6′ 10,” 250 lbs Anthony Davis playing the five. James and Davis not only dominated offensively — dropping dunks, raining threes, dishing dimes — but also defensively — making steals, blocking shots, guarding and shutting down the opposing team’s leading scorer.

The Lakers’ bubble version of small ball was probably the best since prime Golden State Warriors’ ‘Death Lineup.’ Unlike the Dubs’ small ball lineup, the Lakers played their version of small ball over half the time in the playoffs. Now it looks like Russ, LeBron, and AD have sold the Lakers on a version of small ball that’s even faster and more physical than we saw in the bubble. One ignited and fueled by Russell Westbrooks’s unstoppable engine.

It’s no secret the Lakers want to return to the small ball style and physicality that won them a championship. The addition of Russell Westbrook was all about the vision he, LeBron, and AD had for Lakers playing Monster Ball.

So why should the Lakers’ version of small ball be called Monster Ball? It’s because the NBA has never seen a small ball lineup that has the pure speed and raw physicality that Russ, LeBron, and AD bring when playing small.

Speed kills and the Lakers traded for Russell Westbrook because no point guard embodies speed the way he does. The Lakers want to run, which is why they traded for Russ and will move LeBron to the four and AD to the five. There’s no way the Lakers are going to slow down their starting lineup by playing slow footed Marc Gasol at the five. Lakers want to take advantage of the speed of their Superstar Big Three and dominate teams in transition.

Physicality is the second component of the Lakers Monster Ball attack. The Lakers sorely missed the bully ball antics and freakish physicality of Dwight Howard last season. Bringing Howard back was one of Pelinka’s priorities. With three of the league’s most physical superstars in Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis, the Los Angeles Lakers don’t have to sacrifice size or physicality like other teams do when they opt to go small.

Whether on offense or defense, the Lakers’ Monster Ball lineup with Russ at the one, LeBron at the four, and AD at the five is a superstar fueled and turbo charged version of small ball the likes of which the NBA’s never seen.

We knew the Lakers faced a daunting challenge when free agency started because they didn’t have cap space and had to use their only tradeable contracts — Kuzma, Caldwell-Pope, and Harrell — to trade for Westbrook.

Rather than run it back with last year’s players, the Lakers decided to completely turnover their roster, bringing back only Talen Horton-Tucker to join LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Mark Gasol, and Russell Westbrook. They added Kendrick Nunn via the MLE and Kent Bazemore, Malik Monk, Wayne Ellington, Carmelo Anthony, Trevor Ariza, and Dwight Howard on minimum contracts and Joel Ayayi and Austin Reaves on two-way deals.

Pelinka did a fabulous job building a championship roster by surrounding Westbrook, James, and Davis with elite volume 3-point shooters like Nunn, Ellington, and Monk and proven quality defenders like Howard and Ariza. The result is a roster filled with talented veteran players who complement the Lakers’ Superstar Big Three and are great fits for their run-and-gun small ball offense and trapping, doubling, and rotating aggressive team defense.

The Lakers’ Monster Ball lineup will redefine what playing small means. It’s the ultimate small ball lineup and perfect system to take advantage of speed and physicality of Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis.

Why Lakers Need to Save Schroder and Transform Him into Trading Chip

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The Lakers are on the verge of making a mega mistake. After missing an opportunity to turn Alex Caruso into a trading chip, it looks like the Lakers are going to make the same mistake by letting Dennis Schroder walk.

While Rob Pelinka has done a great job finding shooters after trading for Russell Westbrook, he has put the Lakers at risk of being handcuffed by a lack of viable trading chips at the midseason deadline and next summer. With Talen Horton-Tucker’s $10 million and Kendrick Nunn’s $5 contracts as their only trading chips greater then the minimum salary, the Lakers desperately need to convert Dennis Schroder into a viable trading chip.

If they allow Schroder to walk for nothing like Caruso, the Lakers will only have THT’s and Nunn’s plus eight minimum salary contracts to use to make a trade to upgrade the roster or fill a roster hole at the midseason deadline. Since Horton-Tucker and Nunn are keepers, the Lakers will essentially enter the trade deadline and next summer with no ability to make a major trade unless they’re able to transform Dennis Schroder into a viable trading chip.

It’s probably too late to do anytbing at this point about allowing Caruso to walk without even getting a trade exception back but that’s a mistake the Lakers just cannot make with Schroder regardless of the luxury taxes. Schroder would give the Lakers the viable trading chip they need at the deadline. They could trade him to another team to fill a major need or trade him into another team’s cap space to avoid paying the luxury taxes.

The Lakers’ $189 million in projected luxury taxes for next season now just ranks 6th in the league behind the Warriors’ $362 million leads, Nets’ $306 million, Clippers’ $300 million, Bucks $200 million, and Jazz’ $192 million. With the NBA headed towards an explosion of teams willing to pay luxury taxes, the Lakers need to rethink how much they were willing to pay to build a championship roster because the bar has now been officially raised.

Imagine the difference between the Lakers having a $10 million tradeable contract or trade exception from re-signing or trade-and-signing Dennis Schroder versus having to trade THT or Nunn to improve the roster.

Could DeMar DeRozan Be ‘Difference-Making Playmaker’ the Lakers Need?

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Heading into the 2021 NBA Draft, there’s an emerging possibility DeMar DeRozan could end up being the ‘difference-making playmaker’ the Lakers need to move LeBron James to the four and Anthony Davis to the five.

While known mostly for his elite midrange game and reluctance to shoot the three, DeRozan has evolved into an elite playmaker with the Spurs the last three years, averaging 6.9 assists on 2.0 turnovers per game last season. Posting the 10th most assists per game and 11th best assists-to-turnovers ratio by a guard, DeMar may have catapulted himself into consideration for the ‘difference-making playmaker’ the Lakers need to win next season.

Pairing DeMar DeRozan with a volume 3-point shooter like Buddy Hield could give the Lakers the midrange specialist they need to close games and the high volume, high percentage 3-point shooter they need for spacing. DeMar DeRozan as primary playmaker and Buddy Hield as main floor spacer should enable the Lakers to build a dynamic championship starting lineup with LeBron James to the four and Anthony Davis to the five.

The Lakers are optimistically hoping DeMar would agree to sign for the $9.5 million non-taxpayer MLE but chances are they would have to work out a sign-and-trade with the Spurs to be able to actually acquire DeRozan. John Hollinger is projected DeRozan’s value on the free agent market to be $16 million so the Lakers would probably have to give him a 3-year deal starting at around $15 million per year to get him to agree to a sign-and-trade.

Fitting Hield and DeRozan under the $142.9 million hard cap will be a challenge but could be the Los Angeles Lakers best option for upgrading their starting lineup and odds of winning their 18th NBA championship.

Ten Reasons Why Lonzo Ball Is Perfect Point Guard for LeBron and Lakers

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There’s no former Lakers’ player who is more polarizing or misunderstood than Lonzo Ball, who was drafted #2 overall by Los Angeles back in 2017 where he played his first two seasons before being traded to New Orleans.

Over hyped by Magic Johnson and the LA media and hounded by his father LaVar Ball’s antics, Lonzo Ball spent a good portion of his two seasons with the Lakers fighting injuries and trying to live up to inflated expectations. But being exiled to New Orleans via the Anthony Davis trade allowed Lonzo the time and opportunity to work on honing his game, especially his 3-point and free throw shooting and overall decision making as a point guard.

Now that it appears the Pelicans are committed to pursuing Kyle Lowry as their starting point guard going forward, here are ten reasons why Lonzo Ball is the perfect point guard for LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers:

1. EXCEPTIONAL BASKETBALL IQ

One of intangible LeBron and the Lakers value is basketball IQ. Lonzo’s greatest talent is his vision and anticipation at both ends of the court. Like Caruso, Lonzo does the little things that don’t show in the box score.

2. ELITE VOLUME 3-POINT SHOOTER

The Lakers need volume 3-point shooters. After shooting just 31.5% on 5.3 attempts per game his two years with the Lakers, Lonzo shot an impressive 37.6% from deep on 7.2 attempts per game in two years with the Pelicans.

3. SAVVY AND VERSATILE DEFENDER

At 6′ 6″ with a 6′ 7″ wingspan, Lonzo has all the instincts and tools to be an elite defender who can guard ones, twos, and threes and provide defensive savvy and versatility that few NBA point guards are capable of doing.

4. GIFTED PASSER AND PLAYMAKER

From high school to UCLA to the Lakers and then the Pelicans, Lonzo has always been a ready made playmaking highlight reel. While he still needs to improve his P&R passing, Lonzo is an elite outlet and lob playmaker.

5. BALL NEVER STOPS OR STICKS

With LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the lineup, the Lakers don’t really want a ball dominant point guard. Lonzo is a great fit because the ball doesn’t stop when it gets to him. Lonzo’s elite at moving the basketball.

6. EXPERIENCE PLAYING WITH LEBRON

While Lonzo struggled at times during his 2-year stint in LA, he had a great relationship with LeBron James, who always respected his game and knew and understood the pressures Lonzo faced with all of the media hype.

7. FAMILIAR WITH BRIGHT LIGHTS OF LA

You hear Lakers fans and media always talking about how players struggle to play or shoot as well in LA as other cities because of the bright lights. Lonzo has been here before and that will help him adjust to playing in LA.

8. GREAT UPSIDE AT 22-YEARS OLD

Just 22-years old with 4 years of NBA experience, Lonzo has already shown he is nowhere near the player he has the potential to become. He needs to learn to run pick-and-rolls and to attack the basket with drives and floaters.

9. REASONABLE SALARY AND BIRD RIGHTS

With Kyle Lowry, Dennis Schroder, and Spencer Dinwiddie now demanding much of the attention and $30 million per year, the Lakers may have an opportunity to sign-and-trade Lonzo for $20 to $22 million per year.

10. MEMBER OF KLUTCH SPORTS’ FAMILY

Don’t disregard how important being a Klutch Sports client could be to Lonzo Ball ending up on the Lakers. Rich Paul and Rob Pelinka already have an impressive track record at directing Klutch talent to the Lakers.

This is going to be one of the most dynamic offseasons in NBA history. The Play-In Tournament has suddenly transformed a leauge that used to be split fairly evenly between sellers and buyers. Now it’s like everybody’s a buyer.

The Lakers want to reduce the workload on 36-year old LeBron by acquiring a ‘difference-making playmaker’ so James can move to the four and Davis to the five. Lonzo’s 7 assists and 7 attempted threes per game are a pefect fit. The Lakers don’t need a ball-dominant point guard like CP3 or Russ. They need a point guard who can quickly get the ball in the right player’s hands, take and make a high volume of threes to create spacing, and play defense.

Lonzo Ball may not be the old school ball-dominant point guard but he has the potential to become the prototype future modern NBA point guard and is the perfect point guard for LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.