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Former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook arrived in Los Angeles hoping to help LeBron James and Anthony Davis win another championship. However, Westbrook’s Lakers tenure turned into a nightmare. One of Westbrook’s Lakers Head Coaches recently provided candid insight regarding how Westbrook’s arrival changed the organization.
What Did Russell Westbrook’s Former Head Coach Say About His Lakers’ Tenure
Former Lakers Head Coach Darvin Ham recently gave his thoughts on the organization acquiring Westbrook. Ham said the Lakers sacrificed the team’s depth. Ham stated ” In terms of Russ, man, you know, it was a difficult situation. Cause to get a player like that, you pretty much have to gut your team, and that’s essentially what happened. In order to get Russ on the Lakers, they had to part ways with Alex Caruso, KCP, Kyle Kuzma, and a lot of other players they weren’t able to keep because the money wasn’t there.”
Ham added, ” Now you’ve got three essentially supermax players on your roster. And you know, now you’ve got to go after lower-level players. To be elite and win a championship in our league, you have to be elite and have an elite group.”
The Lakers acquired Westbrook during the 2021 off-season, sending Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, and a 2024 second-round pick to the Washington Wizards. As Ham mentioned, the Lakers’ roster makeover that summer also included letting a key defensive guard in Caruso leave, as he signed a four-year $37 million deal with the Chicago Bulls.
The Lakers were motivated to make changes after a disappointing title defense. The Team won the 2020 NBA championship, but were eliminated in the first round of the following playoffs by the Phoenix Suns. The Lakers were the first defending champions to lose in the first round of the playoffs the following season in nearly a decade.
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While Westbrook was brought in to help re-establish the Lakers as title contenders, the opposite happened. Westbrook averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game in his first season with the Lakers. However, he had a below-average 51.2% true shooting percentage, and the Lakers were 2.7 points worse with him on the court. The team finished with a 33-49 record, missing the playoffs, and championship-winning coach Frank Vogel was fired.
Ham was hired as the Lakers’ new Head Coach and quickly decided that Westbrook’s best role on the team was as the sixth man, a role Westbrook wasn’t pleased with. He started just three games the entire regular season, while struggling with his efficiency. Ultimately, the Lakers traded Westbrook to the Utah Jazz near the trade deadline, where he was bought out and signed with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Westbrook never clicked with James and Davis. The trio had a plus/minus rating of -34 in Westbrook’s first season, and while they had a +17 rating in Westbrook’s second year before he was traded, it was a smaller sample size.
Ham talking about the Westbrook acquisition may open old wounds for Lakers fans.
