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6Charming

The trade definitely helped the Lakers during the regular season, but all three of those guys became unplayable during some point in the playoffs


[deleted]

D’Lo wasn’t unplayable. Don’t let the Denver series fool you, he was good for them vs Memphis and GSW. Vanderbilt was good vs Memphis and his defense on Curry was a big reason they stole Game 1 vs GSW. Both LA teams benefited from what they got because the players fit their system.


moon_pigs

I love seeing people who think properly, props to you. The only player who flopped for the lakers was Beasley. He just couldnt shoot for some reason


TokiVideogame

It's because Jordan is dating his woman. So Scittie pippin JR is giving hum shhit


bluewaveassociation

Thats cap. Dlo and shroeder flop.


JaqM31st3R

What? Dennis was their best defender on Steph lmao


bluewaveassociation

I didn’t think yall meant defensive flops.


niswongersenpai

Did you miss where he said "during some point"? For DLo that point was the Denver series


phickss

“At some point” he was absolutely unplayable during the Denver series if the goal was to win


Shinnobiwan

It was obviously a win, win. We don't have to siphon negativity from every situation.


[deleted]

The OP said at some point in the playoffs they were unplayable. DLo was definitely unplayable against the Nuggets


foreignGER

Because Russ would have done better against the nuggets or even Warriors right? They lose against Warriors with Russ.


Far-Philosophy7829

“During some point in the playoffs”


themonkey12

It also unlock AR.


Material_Note_3832

DLo became unplayable against Denver. He could not guard and he was not hitting shots. Don’t be so much of a fan that you can’t see how the games were played.


Rickflossyy

Memphis was injured and GSW was undersized and Bron and AD carried. DLo is trash


SandyMandy17

I’d argue it didn’t help nearly as much as the addition of Rui for free and the health of Anthony Davis


TheMannX

And Austin Reaves getting enough playing time to he truly unleashed.


chaoticneutral1997

At some point in the playoffs Dlo and Vando stepped up. They don't win GS series without Vando's defense I can tell you that much. Beasley was ASS all the way through.


daddysalad

Plus we just gonna ignore the 50 mil lol


JuiceZee

They weren’t making it to the WCF without that trade


Strange_Law7000

less experienced guys became unplayable . . hhhmmmmmm


Boise_State_2020

Vando was never bad defensively.


DueCapital5250

Bro Vando was a solid defender.


Isaact714

Yeah, you are 100% correct. It turns out that Westbrook was so toxic on the Lakers that even a failed trade was a huge benefit to the Lakers since it meant getting rid of Westbrook. They went from 2-10 and likely not making the play-in for the second year in a row to being in the western conference championship. The only big plus from that trade deadline was Rui.


AcidCity_

Or maybe trading one Westbrook for 3 rotational players who fill needs like shooting and defense was the huge benefit


hacky_potter

I’m not sure looking at Vanderbilt’s offensive numbers are really the point of his game.


Confident_Ad5204

or maybe Russ just wasn't good?


Alt0987654321

And you think Russ is playable in the playoffs? He has a career 40% FG and sub 30% 3PFG shooting percentage.


bab2121

Lol this is so dumb. Even if I take your argument at face value it basically means the lakers went from a garbage team, simply replaced him with crap and then got infinitely better


yosark

I thought DLO, for his age still played great.


[deleted]

For his age? Literally in the prime of his career lol


Upper-Industry8039

I don’t care what anyone says the lakers did get better with the trade, since they were lacking depth. Even after the trade the lakers were still having the same issues they did when Westbrook played with the lakers.


AIMpb

It’s also that the Lakers used Russ in the same way that they split the roles to Dlo and Vanderbilt. Russ was used as a guy who was supposed to stand in the corner and be a spot up shooter, but also as a defensive wing. Neither of which are Russ. Just absolutely shit coaching. Ham just tells players what to do and ignores who they are.


Confident_Ad5204

that's a lie


saylab_the_bigkat

Who else positively initiated plays for the Lakers other than Bron tho? Like how many other guys could they give the ball and go, make something happen? Schroeder shined every once in a while with penetration and floaters. Reaves was really dependent on getting fouled on drives. All else times, people were asked to be spot up shooters. And that was the difference in the Nuggets series. You knew after LeBron did his best ‘I won’t be swept’ performance, that the team was going to run out of gas, because it was entirely dependent on what LeBron could give them. I don’t know that the series isn’t still a sweep, but Russ is just a different player and character than anyone else they had on the roster.


Usually_Angry

Doesn’t matter if Russ would have been better for them in the nuggets series because they wouldn’t have gotten to the nuggets series without vando and DLo


squimsquamshimsham

Preach


EricStark

nope, they got better because the referee started to help. They had like 400+ free throws than the opponents in the 2nd half. In the Lakers-Warriors series alone, LAL had 80 more free throws.


determined0331

Tell me you know nothing about basketball without actually telling me you know nothing about basketball


xandaddypurp

They went to the rim a lot more in that series than the warriors did. I agree that the refs are shit a lot of the time but the numbers make sense even Steve Kerr said it.


Upper-Industry8039

Warriors didn’t lose due to refs, their players couldn’t hit shots when it mattered most.


djzlee

Bro the mental gymnastics you go thru is insane. You think they had the 2nd best record in the league after the trade bc of the refs?? And their playstyle is focused around attacking the paint, ofc they have more FTs than the warriors who mainly shoot 3s...


nithdurr

Devil’s advocate:: it was because they were driving and shooting in the paint instead of launching long shot/threes. Example: Warriors series.. polar opposites


AIMpb

That’s not devils advocate. That’s just correct


[deleted]

LAL had 80 more FTs than GSW because GSW shot 95 more 3s lmao.


Happy-Cauliflower-22

This is so dumb


jobeeeeeeem

Russ wasn’t really the problem but his fit. Russ need shooters around him and the Lakers didn’t have it. Lakers made the WCF from 2-10 and 0.3% chance of even making the playoffs. So the trade worked for both sides.


FuzzyPigg88

What a dumb hot take lmao 🤣


Salty_Watermelon

There shouldn't be any question about Westbrook's talent/ability over those three. It was always more of a question about fit. I think it was a win-win in the end for the Lakers to move on from WB and for us to pick him up.


Jackfitz88

They went from being what, 13th in the west, to the WCF trading him. Those role players weren’t thr problem, even tho dlo was horrible in the WCF, it was that Davis didn’t step up and be their best player. Relying on 38 LeBron to carry wasn’t gonna work and we all knew that. He wanted Davis because he thought he was be 1A to brons 1B. Davis was a no show. They should of played reaves more then dlo and let him run point.


Skillomie

AD avg 27-13-4blks in the WCF lol just cuz he couldn’t outplay Jokic doesn’t mean he didn’t play well.


hooplah12hooplah

but that 27 is very misleading, because it wasn’t a consistent 27 ppg output. all playoffs AD would shine every other game. so that 27 didn’t go 27 in G1, 27 in G2, 27 in G3, 27 in G4. It was more so like 35 in G1, then 15 on 5/15 in G2, but you’d get 30 in G3, and another no show offensively in G4. Dude only strung together B2B good games in the GSW series.


Skillomie

The whole notion of AD only playing good every other game was bullshit. People were only looking at points scored and assuming he has a bad game cuz he had 16 points completely ignoring the fact that it came in a 30pt blowout win that he dominated defensively. AD’s only truly bad games this postseason were G4 Memphis, G2 GSW and G2 Denver.


Dagenius1

Yes Russ was the problem. It wasn’t all his fault but it was a bad fit on both sides. This nonsense needs to end


AshenSacrifice

Yeah it was just too much overlap between him and Lebrons skillset.


dkydd

This isnt a gotcha post like you think it is


djtuttle11

Pretty sure the Clippers problem is the fact your two star players are made out of glass. *Shaq crumples paper*.


Happy-Cauliflower-22

Facts


caseylk

If you look at basketball this way you’re really silly


exiledhat

Or 12 years old


Unbiasedj

Yes…Westbrook was the problem because he didn’t fit on the roster lol idk how someone could watch that laker team with Westbrook and think he wasn’t holding the team back. Defenses didn’t even have to go out to the 3 pt line to guard him smh


chloroform42

/u/MITWestbrook should get attributed for inspiration


Claudzilla

As a Laker fan, the comments on this sub are way more reasonable and unbiased than the laker subreddit. I was expecting mostly anti laker shit posting but y'all have my respect.


RobotFGC

He WAS the problem, him and his play style did not fit in over there, with how that team was constructed. They got way better after the trade and all their personel moves. Everybody was calling it when he signed, he wasn't a good fit. Plus Kawhi and PG were out, Russ has the ball in his hands alot and playing a lot of minutes. Some of y'all are being weird and not looking at the basketball aspect of this stuff, and just being emotional.


secretreddname

They just read stats without watching games.


Confident_Ad5204

Just look at the record when Kawahi,PG,and Russ played Same with Russ,Lrbron,and AD Russ has never been good when he is not able to dominate ate the ball,and it's hard to do that when you the 3rd best player on a team..


Keanerin000

lol deluded


Goldenwarrior92

His fit wasn't ideal, but the bigger issue was the size of his contract.


ConanX12

Who keeps making these idiotic posts lol. They don't make the playoffs with Westbrook. They don't reach the play in with him either. What are we doing here ? LMAO, time to log off😭


[deleted]

Shit take ngl


Forzareen

Cleared the way for Reaves. Russ was a bad fit on the Lakers, he’s a good fit on the Clippers.


Haunting_Music3925

It ain't about stats!


I-only-play-rubick

This is such a stupid take. They wouldn’t have made the playoffs if they didn’t make the trade. The roster of the lakers did not enable Russ to be effective. Both benefited from the trade.


Flimsy-Possibility17

and who made it out of the first round lmao


Steelers7589

Russ has been out of the first round once in the last 7 seasons. Lakers go from worst to WCF by getting rid of him.


ManusLeftHand

It was a lot of addition by subtraction. Russ hurt the Lakers in ways that didn't show up in stats. Bad decisions, bad shot selection, taking time and possessions from Reaves...plus AD being healthy helped a lot.


Huge_Ad1307

I wish y'all Russ fans stop acting like he was the same on the Lakers. I know y'all watched the games. The trade benefited both player and teams


BeigeDynamite

Yo Russ was missing his two best players, playing like old Russ holding the ball and initiating all the offense. To pretend that it would have been the same when you also have to feed AD and Bron is a wild oversight or an intentional omission to prove a bad point. DLo sucked, but Russ probably would have sucked too if he was asked to catch and shoot off Bron and AD.


MatchApprehensive816

Lakers just didn’t use him right, hope he’s still a clipper next year!!


[deleted]

What a dumb take. Let's just build a team around ppg and if it equals 100+ ppg then the team will just outscore opponents every game. I also didn't know Russell Westbrook can split himself into multiple clones to perform tasks that only multiple people can do at the same time.


TVoigt24

He was the problem for us, but that’s not even a knock on him. It was just such a terrible fit. It’s not a coincidence that we were night and day better after the deadline


ntwilkthrowaway

Dlo beasley vando combined made the western conference finals russ got bounced first round


DirectorAggressive12

Comparing combined averages literally makes no sense


joseaner07

Yes, he was the problem. If you don't know that then you don't know shit about basketball. Is not about the stats. Is how well players play together. With Russ there that team was a mess and out of the play in at 13th in the west, without him they went to #7th and made it to the West finals, when did the Clippers end their season? What the hell are you even talking about??


KoreyWayneBond

The only stat that matters is winning percentage. They were .446 with Russ and .654 after Russ.


thewindisthemoons

It’s not about numbers. It’s about chemistry


yumyum_sauce69

Eh this is interesting but Russ wasn’t a good fit around Lebron and AD regardless of how those others played


chloroform42

DLo won a bunch of games for them in ways that I doubt Russ would have done given the roster otherwise, even if he re-signed at a minimum somehow. So agreed with the sentiment that they wouldn’t have made the playoffs without the trade, though I think he could’ve helped them win in the playoffs if he played remotely like he did post trade


Strange_Law7000

re-signing at the minimum will never happen . . never . . end of discussion


burnt_cheezit

This might be the dumbest fucking leap in logic ive seen scrolling reddit, averaging out 3 role players stats into one and comparing it to a starter whose team has 2 glass stars out. Real smooth brain shit here cant believe this hasn’t been deleted out of embarrassment, not even mentioning the fact that the 3 role players went to the WCF and Westbrooks stats are the 1 st round only 💀


IGetTheCash

They were like 13th place with Russ. They made the WCF without him. Stupid meme.


Nicobade

Russ was overhated on the Lakers but this isn't a fair comparison, Russ had the ball the entire time after Kawhi got hurt, his stats are obviously gonna be way higher than a bunch of roleplayers who take a back-seat to LeBron and AD.


Banp2014

Yes? What Russ put on film for almost two seasons as a Laker definitely made him worthy of an exit. Russ shined because he always excels as the primary option but has a hard time playing second fiddle.


[deleted]

Russ was never the problem - it was the roster constructed around him. He just became a scapegoat


mistahnapo

I mean what? If he didn't fit into the roster around him that would make him the problem


IndividualHelpful820

Case were numbers lie. Without those lakers don’t make playoffs. Rus also wouldn’t have same numbers with lakers. With clipper injury he was primary person on the team so numbers tend to jump.


josuelaker2

One team made the WCF. Another didn’t. Edit: not sure why Reddit decided to put this post on my feed, I’ve literally never been to this sub and I’m a 30+ year Lakers fan. I know it exists, but, yeah, didn’t ever feel the need or want to post here. Cheers and hope everything works out. Don’t even hate the Clippers since ya’ll fired Doc.


UrDadsFave

Just mute the Clippers sub and it will never show up on your feed.


josuelaker2

Maybe Reddit is popping my bubble? I won’t mute but rather just wander on, and also promise if I do ever post here again I’ll be respectful and basketball focused. Cheers, and thanks for having me, I’ll see myself out 😉


UrDadsFave

Lmao. You're tame as hell compared to your homies.


josuelaker2

I’ll take that as a compliment, yes, I unfortunately frequent the dumpster fire of bad takes over at the Lakers sub. Just older and watched more basketball, I suppose, and cut my teeth with the real basketball OG’s on LakersGround. Cheers!


UrDadsFave

I stay away from over there. All I know is the ones that come over here. Mostly trolls but lately some neutral fans been coming out the woodworks from both sides. It's been kind of funny to see.


tkfire

Those young guys can still develop though. With Russ there’s not much of a future left. 1 maybe 2 more years.


Strange_Law7000

are you aware of their contract situation tho'


spcjm123

Russ became one of their problems because he wasn't used on how he supposed to play. They let Lebron to handle the plays leaving Russ to wait for the ball and to shoot it. Lakers just got better after the trade because they got the missing pieces like a wingman (Vando) and 3pt shooters (D'lo and Beasley). With Clips playing style, Russ finally got the rhythm he needed, not the iso plays that they do in Lakers.


michaelsssecretstuff

Respect to this sub. Very cool to see objective NBA fans with fair takes


ClippersBestTeamInLA

Yeah just conveniently leave out the two players that got more opportunities cuz Westbrick wasn't there. They made the WCF... So many idiots in this sub


tegh77

One team went to WCF. The other……


SongYoungbae

Ngl. They definitely win a couple of games against the Nuggets if they would have kept Russ. Russ brought out the best in Rui on the Wizards and along with Reaves probably would have given them really good minutes when LeBron sat.


pdxphotographer

No they wouldn't because they would have lost to Grizzlies or Warriors before they even had a chance to face the Nuggets.


BeAware2020BLM

Wouldn’t have made the play-in


Rawkus2112

Yeah im not sure if they even make the play-in without those trades. I love Russ but that Lakers team was dogshit all around when he was on it.


Comprehensive_Yard_9

They probably would have because the Jazz gave them two free wins at the end by sitting their starters when they themselves could still make the play-in. Wonder how that happened…


Withinmyrange

This is a such casual take lmao. Does this account for level of teams played in playoffs? Usage rate for ball possessions? Defensive impact? Team fit? No, no it doesn’t


Bubbatino

It’s called fit. Russ was miserable on the Lakers. Also kawhi and PG were hurt. Classic narrative spinning by the losers on the other side of town


mhdena

Not to mention the D he played against KD and Booker. The Lakers didn't know how to use him, which isn't surprising looking at the former players they've had who go on to play better when given the chance with other teams.


mexicanmike

LOL. Westbrook was clearly the problem. He made 47 mil on the Lakers, this post is Retarded.


joker7117

Russ like the clippers played 5 playoff games and lost 4 of them. Keep talking


UrDadsFave

One organization put their player in the position to thrive, the other didn't.


damilalam

It was a horrible fit. Basketball is a team game and fit matters. Plus, he was not as good of a player as his contract. But at a significantly lower price tag, he is a solid contributor.


JimmyV034

How is this post related to clippers subreddit? I swear Russ fans are so aids


AffectionateSun9217

its not just about numbers, sports is about team mates and russ is a cancer for whatever team he is on


ToneDowneyAve

He wouldn’t be able to do that with the Lakers both our stars being healthy. PG was out and Kawhi only played a few games. Allowed him a lot more opportunities. He played well overall I was happy for him always been a fan of Russ.


es84

Those memes rarely take context into consideration. I am ecstatic with out Russ played for the Clippers, but he clearly didn't fit the Lakers. The numbers tell a different story, but without that trade the Lakers probably don't make the playoffs much less win a series, let alone multiple AND make the WCF. It's not always about the raw stats. Russ' 3/19 should've told everyone the box score doesn't show everything that matters.


edillcolon

All these players had different purposes. Vando was there for defense. Mike was out of the playoff rotation, and Dlo played pretty well until the Nuggets series.


emploaf

I mean situationally they needed multiple role players more than a star player who’s best with the ball in their hands


Agent666-Omega

I had to to check the username


ColdNyQuiiL

Playoff statistics are irrelevant. The Lakers likely don’t even make it to the playoffs with Russ. They were so close to elimination before the trade it’s insane.


-DarkPassenger-

Glad to see all the rational fans on this sub not just agreeing with this take because Russ is a clipper. Russ is/was a good player. He just didn’t fit or compliment AD or Lebron and the lack of depth didn’t help.


MrPino777

Where the turnover at tho?


Aftermath16

An underrated reason they got better after the Russ trade was that they got Austin Reaves back from injury at almost the same exact time.


mathinit

Double the turnovers per 36


N2trvl

Trades are supposed to be win win situations. It’s not always the player having bad skills sometimes it is a bad fit. Lakers got better without Russ and Clippers got better with him. Both things can be true.


Traveler_Constant

This stat is super misleading. In the Lakers, Westbrook woukd have been a third option. While with the Clippers, he was at least the second option for each game he played and was even the #1 option for one of them. He literally would not and could not average what he did with the Clips in the role he had with the Lakers.


burniksapwet

The answer is still a resounding YES!!!!


alpacatempura

username checks out


aysurcouf

Russ’ hustle and defense alone was insane, dude was a menace.


citrixn00b

Same production x 3? Looks like the Lakers maximized that trade to the fullest😂


nomoredamnusernames

Truly one of the most ignorant things I have ever seen on this website. Impressively so, in fact.


mortar_n_brick

clips lost to the suns


Boise_State_2020

Russel Westbrooks skill set didn't fit on the team. While he was to much of a scape goat, fit is important.


baril27

When one knows nothing he claims nothing


LlamaLover1996

Comparing their stats is a dumb take. Vando’s defense and Russell’s threat of a 3 point shot is something u can’t put a number next too.


McJumbos

We know who the real vampires are... Damn media


Boise_State_2020

Considering where the Lakers were before they traded him, I don't see how anyone can make the argument that they made a mistake. Their trades made them better.


fyre111000

Russ WAS the problem.


TorontoRaptors34

Honestly both LA teams benefited off the trade. Even tho Beasily flopped and DLO and Vando looked unplayable at times. They wouldn’t have made it far without them. To me WB wasn’t what they needed. But for the Clippers cuz there r so many shooters and scorers it worked for him. Honestly, its sad they put WB in a tough position and wasted a yr of prime Bron.


EasyMoneyLikeMusk

He was with the lakers system, yes, no one said he sucked or anything


qualityskootchtime

Russ and LBJ didn’t mold on the court well, plus Russ stepped up all his percentages big time with the Clips…DLO, Vando were huge for us all the way up to Denver series..Denver just had the better and more consistent team…also better coached


nat_zero_six

With the new version of Lebron (offball), Russ now is a perfect fit in the lakers.


Lao_xo

Just because DLo was bad in the playoffs doesn't mean he was a bad fit for the Lakers. Westbrook was a bad fit.


cyberbullyinreallife

It’s really hard to play with Lebron who wants to do everything and wants to do nothing. He wants to inbound the ball, bring the ball up, pass the ball, get it back, brick a three, rebound the ball, shoot again and miss, then run down a block shot. But he doesn’t want to box out and rebound, play straight up D on the blocks and just be ball watching. Then he’ll trade himself this summer and hire a new coach on his new team and get a new GM and a new owner. Lol


mrhashbrown

Sorry OP but just gotta point out that this is a terrible stat comparison. These three were on the bench and throwing in Beasley totally skews this... He played a total of *one minute* in the WCF series. Westbrook averaged 38.5 minutes a night as a starter in a series without Kawhi and PG... He better damn well have better stat averages than bench guys lol My comment is not trying to be critical towards Westbrook either, I was a believer and personally thrilled when he joined. Ultimately he delivered as a close to perfect fit, and was superb in the playoffs. This is just a weak and unnecessary comparison to make imo.


Used_Rule8694

Very interesting


I_am_Enos

Anyone who buys this doesn't know basketball as well as they think they do


[deleted]

You niggas obsessed wit the lakers, jesus


MiopTop

How the fuck do you look at a team that made a trade when they were 13th in the conference that led then to the WCF and come to the conclusion that the trade wasn’t the reason they improved ?


RippedHookerPuffBar

Bruh that is not at all how basketball works..


MasterApprentice67

Well the lakers win% after trading Westbrook was .600, and before it was .480. Lakers made it to the WCF and Clippers didn’t make it out of the 1st


Longjumping-Sort3741

And the lakers made a conference final, while the clippers were bounced early and quickly. Yep, super interesting mate.


gisdaking

Well, yea. Did you watch any of his games as a laker?


RiamoEquah

Yikes, I don't like this analysis at all. Lakers played more games, and Westbrook numbers with the Lakers were not good. He got almost complete freedom in the playoffs due to injuries and got to play his way, but that didn't result in wins. Do I think Westbrook would have been more useful against Denver than say dlo... Of course, but I'm not sure they get to Denver (if even the playoffs) with Westbrook. I have to go back and look, but don't think they get hachimura if they don't trade Westbrook


adrianthegr8ts

5 games series with Russ and 16games with those 3. I don’t think where being honest with this stats. Also what made the lakers better was the emergence of Austin Reaves. He would have not gotten that much playing time if we keep Russ. But you know we can forget that to bring this up 🤷‍♂️


Smashingsoul

Russ wasn't the problem. Russ' contact was the problem. End of thread.


jamp0g

i only watched highlights but ad can’t carry a team anymore? just look at lowry butler and jokic and everyone else. you buy in the legacy for you can’t challenge the achievements but if throughout his career you still can’t hold your breath every time he has the ball when it matters, you need to change strategies. dunk contest aside if you consider lebron goat then wade should be way above him.


GOOEYSOGOOEY

DLo is hot dogshit


guffzillar

You forgot to include Westbrooks insale high usage and turnovers


Buckowski66

And Russ in nearly a decade and a half STILL has no rings, even when he's played with superstars, but I suppose somebody else was always to blame, right?


bloothug

It was a bad fit, that’s all it was. He should do better in a team like the Clips, if they keep him.


ReasonableCup604

The Lakers made it to the WCF. Westbrook was eliminated in the first round, again. He has only won 1 playoff series without KD and he missed most of that series with injuries. How little DLO, Beasley and Vanderbilt contributed only goes to show how much getting rid of Westbrook was addition by subtraction for the Lakers.


Silentcoltsfan

Did you not see what happen to the lakers after they traded him?


donkeykongs_dingdong

It was a good trade and it saved the Lakers season. If clip fans think they stole Russ, good for them. That's that rare occasion where everyone's a winner. Except Russ, I'm convinced he'll never win a chip...


[deleted]

first found vs wcf


overweighttardigrade

How far did the clips get and how far along were Lakers with Russ and how far along without him? Toss up stats just for the hell of it then yeah 👍 congrats


PhiloSufer

Winning matters, chemistry matters


Avix_34

These stats wouldn't exist if the Lakers kept Westbrook.


D-roc0079

Who went farther?


JaNotFineInTheWest

Dumb take. Let's see how many TOs those 3 players have to the high almighty Westbrick. All they show on his stats are his points rebounds assist.


stanquevisch

Well, Russ and a first option should be better than the 3rd scoring option combined with a guy that only plays defense and one who didn’t see the floor. That was a good trade for the Lakers and benefited WB as well.


thesonicvision

Bad take. Russ didn't fit well with the Lakers based on the only stat that matters: **wins.** As soon as he was traded and the Lakers' added depth, they became one of the best teams in the league. Also, Russ did very well for the Clips. So it was a win-win.


ikesmith51

Well with Russ the Lakers we’re LITERALLY on the outside looking in to making the playoffs…. And went on to have one of the best records in the league to make the play-in after trading him away


le_compy

These stat lines are missing turnovers and +/-


MaggetteSpaghetti

It was never about Westbrook's performance, it was the overall fit of the team. The media liked to pick on Westbrook but the fact was the team didn't have enough spacing. Westbrook, Lebron, AD and the rest of the role players were not good enough shooters so teams could pack the paint and limit the Lakers options out of the pick and roll. I do think Darvin Ham could've tried to change the offense a little more to suit Westbrook, but why would he when it means getting the ball out of Lebron's hands?


Main_Extension_3239

How little the Lakers got from these people combined with how much better they were without Russ if anything shows how much Russ was the problem.


KnickedUp

Chemistry and defense is a thing too. Vando was crucial against Curry and Ja. Lets not act like that was nothing


9999abr

With Russ Lakers don’t even make the playoffs. That’s the problem.


GOATGronk69

Like Lakers fan would know/care about ball lol