The Russell Westbrook-off-the-bench period is right here to remain it seems.
The Lakers’ struggling level guard is predicted to run the second unit Friday night time towards the Timberwolves and for the foreseeable future, in accordance with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Westbrook — who's averaging 10.3 factors on simply 29 p.c taking pictures together with a ghastly 8 p.c from behind the arc — missed Wednesday’s sport towards the Nuggets with a hamstring harm. He was upgraded to possible Friday morning for the group’s sport towards the Timberwolves.
The transfer will finish Westbrook’s streak of 1,007 straight appearances as a starter, the third-longest lively stretch behind Chris Paul and teammate LeBron James, per ESPN Stats & Data. Westbrook has come off the bench solely 17 instances in his profession, all throughout his rookie season.
The hope is that a change may even assist ignite a woeful Lakers group that has stunk in shedding its first 4 video games of the season — with the ball-dominant Westbrook coming off the bench, the thought is it will likely be a greater match not having him on the ground concurrently James and Anthony Davis.
With Westbrook and James within the lineup collectively this season, L.A. has scored simply 94.2 factors per 100 possessions, in accordance with Cleansing the Glass. With James on the ground with out Westbrook, they’ve scored 101.2 factors per 100 possessions.
The Lakers, in the meantime, are taking pictures simply 42 p.c from the ground this season and a brutal 22 p.c from behind the 3-point line.
It additionally gained’t be the primary time Lakers coach Darvin Ham has experimented with Westbrook coming off the bench. Within the Lakers’ preseason finale, he used the mercurial 33-year-old nine-time All-Star and former league MVP in a reserve position as effectively. Westbrook strained his hamstring, then stated not beginning was the explanation he obtained injured.
On Friday, the Lakers practiced with a beginning 5 of James, Anthony Davis, Patrick Beverly, Lonnie Walker IV and Damian Jones, per ESPN. Davis is listed as questionable for Friday’s sport and may he not be capable to go it's doable Westbrook might begin, in accordance with Wojnarowski.
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