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By: Roy Kapoor and Jacob Cho The clanks, the bricks, the airballs, the turnovers.
Enough is enough!
The Los Angeles Lakers were championship hopefuls once upon a time. Unfortunately, that time has passed.The age of Russell Westbrook has dragged the Lakers through the mud for far too long. For example, watch them play against the championship favorite Clippers team on Thursday night in their home debut. The Lakers battled back from a 16-point hole to lead by two points in the middle of the fourth quarter by playing hard and gritty. But they lost because Westbrook missed all 11 of his attempts. Despite Anthony Davis getting up off the court to score 25, LeBron James continuing to defy time with a double-double, and Lonnie Walker IV making his debut with 26 points; they lost because Westbrook missed all six of his three-point attempts. As a result of Westbrook’s turnovers, including back-to-back ones in crunch time, the game resulted in a 103-97 Clippers victory, and the judgment on his contribution was obvious. The Lakers would have triumphed in this match if he had sat out. The Lakers would win their games if he were not on the roster. They would have won this game if he didn’t miss 11 straight shots and multiple free throws.
The time for a trade is now before Lebron wastes all his best years on this dying team. Disgruntled die-hard fans and casuals alike can see that the Lakers will not maintain relevance in the flashing lights of Los Angeles this year if Russell Westbrook remains on the Lakers roster. Though some may argue that Westbrook is just in a slump, that could not be farther from the truth. On every great team that he has been on, Westbrook has constantly underacheived. Excluding the 2011-2012 Thunder, he hasn’t seen any noteworthy playoff success. It’s been quite the opposite. His last good playoff run ended with a blown 3-1 lead in the Western Conference Finals. Ultimately, if the Lakers wish to succeed, they can only find retribution with a Russell Westbrook trade. If they trade him, everyone wins. The shooters the Lakers so sorely need can be acquired. Westbrook can perform in the fresh environment that he so desperately needs. Since James is apparently in good shape, Davis may finally develop the toughness required to advance his career. Truly, the only fruition is a new look for both parties. One where Russ wins, but more importantly, one where the Lakers win. After all, Russ just looks out of it. Ask Charles Barkley (a former star basketball player) who said, “you know how I feel about Russell Westbrook. I admire him. I respect him. It’s time for the Lakers to move him. They have taken all his joy out of life and basketball. It’s not about the numbers. This guy used to be so exuberant playing with great energy and great emotion. I think the wear and tear mentally last year has taken a toll. According to Barkley, Westbrook is used too much as a scapegoat for some underlying issues with the Lakers as a team as well as the flaws that go beyond Brodie's polarizing play. “And the thing is, he’s going to get the blame no matter what because the Lakers aren’t a championship contender.” It’s finally time to pull the trigger and help everyone win.
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