Nine-time NBA All-Star Russell Westbrook, who's known for wanting the ball in his hands seemingly at all times, is expected to come off the bench in the Los Angeles Lakers' final pre-season game, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
In their game against the Sacramento Kings, Lakers coach Darvin Ham and Westbrook discussed possibly having Westbrook serve as a sixth man to give him more freedom with the ball and help bolster the team's second unit.
Out of his 1,021 career games, Westbrook has come off the bench just 17 times, as a rookie in 2008. On a $47 million expiring contract, Westbrook was one of the main trade rumour focuses during the off-season, though no moves were made and Westbrook remains in Los Angeles.
In 2021-22 Westbrook averaged his lowest points per game since 2009, dropping below 21 points per game for the first time in a decade averaging 18.5 and tallied a plus-minus of minus-211, the second worst of his career.
Westbrook's fit with another ball-dominant guard in LeBron James did not mesh the way the superstars would have originally intended, and Westbrook had a usage rate below 30 per cent.
With his performance off the ball questionable and the Lakers giving up much of their depth to acquire Westbrook last season, they now need to fit him into a role where he won't infringe on James or Anthony Davis. He can also bring his MVP-calibre play to a second unit that needs his hands-on, do-it-all style.
Despite having one of the worst seasons of his career Westbrook still led the Lakers in assists, rebounds, steals, free throws and games played last season.
After the firing of head coach Frank Vogel and some key off-season additions like picking up Patrick Beverley, the Lakers look to return to the playoffs and make a splash in the Western Conference. Finding how to correctly slot Westbrook into the lineup is the first step.
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