Photo Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
Dealing Russell Westbrook before the NBA trade deadline was no-brainer move for the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite his rebounding and playmaking skills, Westbrook was such a glaring misfit to an extent that his negative traits often times overshadowed his positives.
Westbrook was traded to the Utah Jazz before he got bought out and signed with the Los Angeles Clippers. Overall, it was a win-win scenario for both parties. The Lakers got their much-needed key players, while Westbrook turned out to be a better fit for his new team.
All that being said, one NBA scout had one way of looking at how things transpired between Russell Westbrook and the Lakers. According to said scout, the Lakers used Westbrook incorrectly during his time with the team.
Per LA Times:
“Asking Russ to be a 3-and-D guy is like asking Wilt [Chamberlain] to be a point guard,” the scout said, adding that with the Clippers it is “same city, lower expectations, less pressure. He is value-added.”
