There is a perception that Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook has to embrace the sixth-man role to extend his NBA career fully. Former Laker Robert Horry told Howard Beck before the season that Westbrook was on the verge of being out of the league if he didn’t accept the bench role.
“I’m hoping Russ doesn’t be an Iverson if it comes to that, because he’s still a good player, he’s still on the cusp of still being a great player. He’s still able to do a lot of things that 90 percent of the league can’t do. And he can’t have that mindset as, ‘Oh, I’m a starter.’ You’re a basketball player, period,” Horry added.
Why Russell Westbrook has struggled with the Lakers
At first glance, Horry appears right about Westbrook’s role, as his production has increased in the sixth-man role. Westbrook is averaging 15.7 points and 8.1 assists per game in 14 appearances off the bench, shooting 41.5 percent on 13.4 attempts, at least 10 percent better than his numbers as a starter this season.
However, when looking beneath the surface, the Lakers are still shining a big spotlight on the weak points of Westbrook’s skill set. During his tenure with the team, the Lakers have run an offensive system centered around post-ups and pick-and-rolls. Los Angeles was in the top 6 in post-up possession during Westbrook’s 83 games as a starter averaging 9.6 per game.
Russell Westbrook was only responsible for 13.1 percent of those possessions averaging 1.25 per game. The Lakers haven’t increased Westbrook’s involvement in post-up sets since he was moved to the second unit averaging 0.9 per game, 9 percent of the team’s possessions.
Westbrook has been significantly more involved in the Lakers’ pick-and-roll sets averaging 5.5 possessions per game. However, Westbrook only accounts for 33.5 percent of the possessions, as the team has averaged 16.4 per game during his tenure.
Consequently, Westbrook has spent a meaningful amount of possessions off the ball. For example, he has spent 13.25 percent of his possessions as a spot-up shooter, averaging 2.8 per game.
Unfortunately, he was ineffective outside of the restricted area before joining LA, shooting 32.8 percent on 12.8 attempts per game. Westbrook’s shooting has declined even more during his Lakers’ tenure, as he is shooting 26.7 percent outside of the restricted area on nine attempts per game.
How the Lakers should use Russell Westbrook
If the Lakers wanted Westbrook to be effective, they would solely have him shooting in the restricted area. Before arriving in Los Angeles, Westbrook shot 61.8 percent in the restricted area on 7.9 attempts per game. He averaged 9.6 points in the restricted area, 39.3 percent of his scoring output.
Unfortunately, Westbrook only attempted 6.6 shots per game in the restricted area as a starter. It has slightly declined after he was moved to the second unit averaging 6.3 per game. Westbrook has made 55.6 percent of his restricted area shots as a Laker. Westbrook is averaging 7.2 points in the restricted area, 40.5 percent of his scoring output.
Westbrook’s restricted area attempts have declined because of a significant decrease in his transition possessions and spacing issues. Westbrook is averaging a career-low 3.8 transition possessions per game. Westbrook uses transition possessions to outrun defenders.
For example, Robert Covington grabbed a rebound early in the fourth quarter of a Rockets home game against the Timberwolves. He passed the ball to Westbrook, who proceeded to run down the middle of the court unguarded until he dunked the ball to the ball to end the possession.
The decrease in transition possessions has forced Westbrook to spend more time in the half-court with a teammate constantly in the paint. For example, Westbrook dribbled the ball up the right side of the court early in the first quarter of a home game against the Knicks last season. Westbrook decided to pass the ball to LeBron James once he reached the front court as James was standing on the right block.
In conclusion, the Lakers’ environment is the catalyst behind Westbrook’s statistical decline.
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