We're being prepped for another season of Westbrook

[danfantastk32]

What a delusional twit. Like Riley would have anything to do with you. God, the guy has no idea what a muppet he is in the league now.

He still buys "Russel Westbrook".....it's laughable.

[sonnyhill]

It appears that Westbrook has little-to-no self-awareness and is also very self-absorbed.

It also appears that the Phil is advising Jeanie that the Lakers should plan to roll into next season with a roster which will "utilize" a Westbrook-centric scheme.

Perhaps Russ can have a bounce-back year and lead the team to some sort of respectability. It just seems very doubtful.

[DoctaJ]

I'm now on the 'sell the lakers to the Dodgers group, wipe the slate clean of all these legacies, and start clean' bandwagon, with Slava and I think Dock?

I love what the Buss family has done for the Lakers and LA, but what's going on right now is just a bit nauseating...

I'm basically at the point where I don't really have much interest in watching a team with LeBron on it... Westbrook sucks, but if I had to choose between the 2, I'd take him over LeBron... Just because with Westbrook, you just get a flawed player, not a flawed player who still demands monumental control of the franchise... Until he passes Kareem, he's going to be all about his legacy and not much else...

I still am OK with AD, because if he could get his head and body right, I think he's still a top player in this NBA... But I think he needs to get out of LeBrons sphere of influence to get there...

I don't think the Coach matters at all at this point... All of those players are what they are, and what they are doesn't mix well... Like shrimp fried rice, Mac and Cheese, and Spaghetti... they may be great on their own, but there's no way to mix them that doesn't make them worse...

All of which is moot, because they're never going to trade LeBron, and if that doesn't happen, the rest isn't as impactful... Keeping LeBron, means keeping AD at least, and they haven't been that great together at all really, other than in some key games in the Bubble... It's never really been a seamless pairing... It's either LeBron or AD, and when AD really seems to start taking off, LeBron seems to sense it and start going for MVP again, which makes AD take his foot off the gas...

So what we do with Westbrook, maybe isn't as important as everyone thinks... We'll try to make it work until the deadline I guess, and then maybe we trade him... But no matter who we trade him for, it'll still be a LeBron/AD show, which really isn't a championship core anymore, if it ever really was...

Can't say I disagree with anything you've said here, Kilroy.

[BEazy]

I've been so disgusted with Westbrook and the way we were playing I took a break from Lakers basketball. I've never done that in my entire life. If this bonehead of a player is back in the purple and gold I will not watch next season at all. Don't care if we got a new roster and a coach. I already know come playoff time, Bricklayer Brook will get exposed because he sucks at shooting and he'll turn the ball over 10+ times. Ham is going to get a lot of heat for Brickbrook's failures. It's inevitable.

[John Murdoch]

Would the Knicks trade Randle, Fournier, and Rose for Westbrook, THT, and two firsts?

G - James/Rose
G - Fournier/Nunn
F - Reaves/filler
F - Randle/Boucher
C - Davis/Howard

Two 1st ? Cmon now ...Knicks view Randle as a bad contract and the fans boo him . Id even hesitate to give up one 1st in that deal and if i did it would be top 10 protected

[stan francisco]

Playing Westbrook next to LBJ has always been and will always be a dumb idea unless their roles are very specifically designed, and boundaries are followed on the court. Yeah, right. Boundaries takes away what they’re both good at; improvising.

All that Westbrook does well, LBJ does better. None of what Westbrook does complements what LeBron does. Since day one, Westbrook needs to go or come off the bench only when LBJ sits. For $47M to sit on the bench is just, well, plain dumb.

[Eric Bieniemy]

The Lakers are only saying they want to keep him so opposing teams don't think they are as desperate as they really are.

The Lakers would definitely include a draft pick to rid themselves of Westbrook. They just refuse to be raped, so they're playing the role of a happy whore, acting satisfied with their low lot in life, laying down with those they no will never satisfy them solely for financial purposes.

[Landsberger]

My guess is we will trade picks to rid ourselves of him.... as in plural. The FO is desperate and everyone knows it. Keeping this team together puts the FO in a spot where Bron literally owns them next offseason.

[sonnyhill]

The Lakers lose out on the benefit of Westbrook's $47 million coming off the books at the end of next season if Westbrook is traded away.

[danfantastk32]

The Lakers lose out on the benefit of Westbrook's $47 million coming off the books at the end of next season if Westbrook is traded away.

It's not that simple. If the Lakers straight dump him next offseason, then they will still be over, or damn close to the cap. So they will end up losing him, and getting nothing. You can only go over the cap for trades/resigns. Of course there are things you can do (mid levels, etc) to sign someone....but your not just getting $45 mil to spend next time. It'll be more like $10-15.

Now granted, we can get a vastly better player for only 10 or 15 (if done right). So unless we get a good deal in return, I say we keep him. And then who knows? Perhaps Lebron leaves next offseason too. THEN we'd have some $$ to spend.

[stan francisco]

It appears that Westbrook has little-to-no self-awareness and is also very self-absorbed.

It also appears that the Phil is advising Jeanie that the Lakers should plan to roll into next season with a roster which will "utilize" a Westbrook-centric scheme.

Perhaps Russ can have a bounce-back year and lead the team to some sort of respectability. It just seems very doubtful.

He has never had any self awareness on or off court, in my opinion.

Bounce back to Oklahoma and Scott Brooks? Sure.

Look, there’s nothing Russ does that LBJ doesn’t do better. Off the bench for LBJ? Sure. But that’s a waste of $47M.

Phil’s logic when it comes to the offense probably goes like this; there’s one position that makes Westbrook very difficult to guard. Post him up down low every possession with his guard pinned under the basket or near it. In a triangle set you could use AD in the high post even. All three could post up but that would be the main offensive task Phil would hand to Russ.

Defensively, I’d assume Phil’s plan is to play 4 against 5. It’s a losing proposition, even if it’s from Phil.

EDIT: Then again, if we can do this and keep a decent record until the deadline and ship him out, sure. In the playoffs, Westbrook would be picked apart defensively from game 2 and on. L.

We will never win rings either Westbrook used as a starter.

[zuju]

Saw it on the other basketball site

Russell Westbrook after being told any Laker can bring up the ball: I'm the point guard, give me that s---
“Russell Westbrook never respected Frank [Vogel] from Day 1,” said one Lakers staff member with knowledge of the situation. “The moment Frank said anybody who gets the rebound can bring it up the court, which is just how the NBA is played these days, Russ was like, ‘Naw, I’m the point guard. Give the ball to me. Everybody run. Frank was like, ‘No, we have Talen [Horton-Tucker)] We have Austin [Reaves]. We have Malik. We have LeBron. We have AD. They can all bring the ball up.’ He was like, ‘Nope, I’m the point guard. Give me that s—. Everybody get out the way.’ “From that point on, in training camp, it was a wrap, ‘cause now Russ is a fish out of water. He doesn’t know what to do. That’s how that started.”


IF the story is true, keeping WB or not is not a question or an option. Lack of discipline to me is just not professional and unacceptable. It ruins the team spirit and chemistry to only do what he wanted to do instead of what the team or coach want him to do.

IF we only trade WB in during the all star break, we will be only use that taxpayer MLE and vet mins. If we traded him to Magic or OKC, we will be able to offer BAE and Full MLE. So trading WB to the Magic is my first priority.

[zimpy27]

Saw it on the other basketball site

Russell Westbrook after being told any Laker can bring up the ball: I'm the point guard, give me that s---
“Russell Westbrook never respected Frank [Vogel] from Day 1,” said one Lakers staff member with knowledge of the situation. “The moment Frank said anybody who gets the rebound can bring it up the court, which is just how the NBA is played these days, Russ was like, ‘Naw, I’m the point guard. Give the ball to me. Everybody run. Frank was like, ‘No, we have Talen [Horton-Tucker)] We have Austin [Reaves]. We have Malik. We have LeBron. We have AD. They can all bring the ball up.’ He was like, ‘Nope, I’m the point guard. Give me that s—. Everybody get out the way.’ “From that point on, in training camp, it was a wrap, ‘cause now Russ is a fish out of water. He doesn’t know what to do. That’s how that started.”


IF the story is true, keeping WB or not is not a question or an option. Lack of discipline to me is just not professional and unacceptable. It ruins the team spirit and chemistry to only do what he wanted to do instead of what the team or coach want him to do.

IF we only trade WB in during the all star break, we will be only use that taxpayer MLE and vet mins. If we traded him to Magic or OKC, we will be able to offer BAE and Full MLE. So trading WB to the Magic is my first priority.

If those rumours are true then Rob needs to be fired for not trading him ASAP

[zuju]

Saw it on the other basketball site

Russell Westbrook after being told any Laker can bring up the ball: I'm the point guard, give me that s---
“Russell Westbrook never respected Frank [Vogel] from Day 1,” said one Lakers staff member with knowledge of the situation. “The moment Frank said anybody who gets the rebound can bring it up the court, which is just how the NBA is played these days, Russ was like, ‘Naw, I’m the point guard. Give the ball to me. Everybody run. Frank was like, ‘No, we have Talen [Horton-Tucker)] We have Austin [Reaves]. We have Malik. We have LeBron. We have AD. They can all bring the ball up.’ He was like, ‘Nope, I’m the point guard. Give me that s—. Everybody get out the way.’ “From that point on, in training camp, it was a wrap, ‘cause now Russ is a fish out of water. He doesn’t know what to do. That’s how that started.”


IF the story is true, keeping WB or not is not a question or an option. Lack of discipline to me is just not professional and unacceptable. It ruins the team spirit and chemistry to only do what he wanted to do instead of what the team or coach want him to do.

IF we only trade WB in during the all star break, we will be only use that taxpayer MLE and vet mins. If we traded him to Magic or OKC, we will be able to offer BAE and Full MLE. So trading WB to the Magic is my first priority.

If those rumours are true then Rob needs to be fired for not trading him ASAP

I don't know if its all up to Rob. I believe Jeanie influenced the decision, Rambis influenced and Phil as well.

What I am sure is that Rob does not know what a competent roster should look like and his disconnection with Vogel on Roster construction should have already cost his job.