Russell Westbrook

And we may be perhaps seeing a few possible reasons why before even the regular season officially starts. During a preseason game Wednesday night, there were a ...

A divorce is coming between the Lakers and Westbrook either way after this season, but it’s looking more and more like one may have to come before. The regular season is only a few days away. And as soon as things begin to sour in Los Angeles, these are the type of things that are going to be highlighted. It’s only going to get bigger with this latest piece of evidence from Westbrook and the team. This is not what the Lakers need in their lives. And we may be perhaps seeing a few possible reasons why before even the regular season officially starts.

Russell Westbrook's place on the 2022-2023 Los Angeles Lakers is one of the biggest storylines in the NBA heading into the new season.

Westbrook is still a fast and powerful driver going to the rim, but this Lakers team simply needs more off-ball components around James and Davis. Expect there to be plenty of weird little moments like this one along the way. Westbrook was probably just upset at the foul call, and needed a moment to breathe before chatting with teammates. The Lakers’ addition of Patrick Beverley has only made the Westbrook issue even thornier. Westbrook’s first year in LA was an abject disaster for everyone involved, but he’s still on the roster entering the final year of his contract. — but to this point LA has been hesitant to include the future draft compensation necessary to get an upgrade in return.

When Patrick Beverley arrived at the Lakers from the Minnesota Timberwolves, we all wondered how Russell Westbrook would respond.

And Westbrook doesn't even follow what James is doing?This will get him bullied online for the entire season if he remains in the Lakers. Many reports from reputable sources have suggested that the team is ready to trade Russell, regardless of whether he is willing to leave or not. Westbrook wasn't having any of it, he flat out ignored one of his teammates. Multiple times had Westbrook unable to follow Darvin Hamm's indications, he even got into a heated altercation with a Timberwolves player. When it comes to Russell Westbrook, his all-time stats are a far cry from the player he has become over the last couple of seasons. Westbrook appeared distant from the very beginning.

During Wednesday's Lakers-Timberwolves preseason contest, Russell Westbrook refused to join an on-the-court huddle led by Patrick Beverley.

[October 13, 2022] The guard motioned for Westbrook to join in, but he instead simply remained put on the free throw line.

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham outlines the areas where Russell Westbrook can make a positive impact offensively.

“There are things all of them need to do better in terms of running habits and things with the way we’re gonna space, screening angles, rolling all the way to the rim,” Ham noted. There’s gonna be that period of discovery where we just got to sit down and continue to pound out the film and continue to work on our habits in practice.” It takes time to build up the habits that Ham wants for this team and ideally, the further along they get, the easier things will become. We’re trying to water that plant so that they can, again, as we get further along and open up the season, two months in, three months in, four months in, things don’t happen overnight. “In terms of Russ, there’s running lanes, there’s guy that are willing passers that are gonna find him, we just got to commit to our running habits and our spacing. “Guys got to get accustomed to different habits and different ways of spacing, being in different positions.

During Wednesday's Lakers-Timberwolves preseason contest, Russell Westbrook refused to join an on-the-court huddle led by Patrick Beverley.

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While the Lakers dropped their fourth game in NBA preseason action Wednesday in a 118–113 loss to the Timberwolves, a great deal of attention was centered ...

I never had a problem being with my teammates and continue to do what I been doing.” The Lakers begin the 2022 regular season on Oct. “I’m just trying to compete and do my job. “We get on the road, we hang out together.” “I think they just cut the video. Beverley managed to get LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Lonnie Walker IV in the huddle but not Westbrook.

Russell Westbrook brushed aside videos of him outside Lakers' huddles during Wednesday night's game as nothing out of the ordinary.

[The Cavaliers traded](https://nba.nbcsports.com/2022/09/01/winners-and-losers-in-donovan-mitchell-trade-to-cavaliers/) for [Donovan Mitchell](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30439/donovan-mitchell) to put next to the fast-rising [Evan Mobley](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/63434/evan-mobley) plus All-Stars [Darius Garland](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/51040/darius-garland) and [Jarrett Allen](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30448/jarrett-allen). [Ben Simmons](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30296/ben-simmons) accept his role and fit with [Kevin Durant](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29277/kevin-durant) and [Kyrie Irving](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29682/kyrie-irving)? The Pacers have real talent still on the roster, talent that can win games, which is why everyone around the league expects a [Myles Turner](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30167/myles-turner) and/or [Buddy Hield](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30301/buddy-hield) tour sooner rather than later. [Lonzo Ball](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30428/lonzo-ball) (which hurts their defense and transition), and with questions about whether [DeMar DeRozan](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29479/demar-derozan) can replicate a career season at age 33. Tucker](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29214/pj-tucker). [Robert Williams](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30598/robert-williams) III [gets healthy and returns to the lineup](https://nba.nbcsports.com/2022/09/23/celtics-center-robert-williams-out-8-12-weeks-following-knee-surgery/)) — everything that led them to the Finals last season. [Giannis Antetokounmpo](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29932/giannis-antetokounmpo). They are the best of this group, and while it’s a young team learning on the fly they could surprise us all. Is [Caleb Martin](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/56188/caleb-martin) up for that? (It’s a contract year, I expect he will be dialed in.) Is [Nic Claxton](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/52613/nicolas-claxton) enough at center? The Bucks just need to stay healthy (they might have returned to the Finals if [Khris Middleton](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29839/khris-middleton) hadn’t sprained his knee), but an adjustment on defense to take away a few more 3-pointers wouldn’t hurt. For example, the Heat or 76ers could easily grab a top-two seed in the East, they will be good regular season teams, but they have playoff questions to answer.

Patrick Beverley and Russell Westbrook respond to the circulating video of Westbrook appearing to skip a team huddle, despite Beverley's motions for him to ...

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It turns out that Los Angeles Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook's third quarter "snub" of a team huddle before the club eventually fell 118-113 to the ...

It's barely a secret that Russell Westbrook wants the Lakers to trade Russell Westbrook. It's no secret that the Lakers want to trade Russell Westbrook. The former nine-time All-Star may not be fully engaged with his teammates, but that could just as easily be a function of the 33-year-old being in his own little universe (which, to be fair, isn't great for team chemistry), rather than being some indication that there's trouble in paradise.

Russell Westbrook offered context to debunk signs of discord after videos that appeared to show him distancing himself from teammates went viral.

"As far as the other video, I was actually talking to the coaches and they cut that video in half as well," Westbrook said. And I'm very accustomed to it. missed the playoffs last season with his uneven play adding to a whole host of team struggles that included pervasive injuries and underwhelming role player contributions. I've never had a problem being with my teammates, so I'm going to continue doing what I've been doing." "Honestly I'm just trying to compete and do my job. But, I've been doing the same ritual since I've been in the league." "I'm very used to it. "Pregame, I've been doing that since I've been in the league for years, man," Westbrook said after practice Thursday. And whatever comes with the extra stuff, comes with it. "I was talking to the coaches about a missed coverage. Beverley never caught his attention. "I think they just cut the video and obviously the internet is going to take it and run with whatever they need to run with.

Russell Westbrook addressed the clips that seemed to show him opting not to join his Los Angeles Lakers teammates in huddles.

[strange night](https://twitter.com/michaelcorvoNBA/status/1580609468500299779) for Russ. In the same media scrum on Thursday, Westbrook [said that type of scrutiny](https://twitter.com/kylegoon/status/1580660361241378817) is not specific to Los Angeles and has followed him throughout his career. He punctuated the evening with a [cryptic Instagram post](https://twitter.com/clutchpointsapp/status/1580458751298916352). [longtime routine](https://twitter.com/TheWestbrookEra/status/1580571506458824706?s=20&t=OKSjH03blO2jxcJPICNJjQ), which consists of Westbrook doing his own thing as his teammates bring it in. Russell Westbrook brushes off the 2 seeming non-interactions with his Lakers teammates. As some folks posited — and Westbrook insisted — the clips were taken out of context, as can happen on the World Wide Web.

A recent clip has some fans anxious about Westbrook's chemistry with his teammates as the regular season approaches, but he and Patrick Beverley say ' ...

But, I’ve been doing the same ritual since I’ve been in the league.” And I’m very accustomed to it,” he said. “Pregame, I’ve been doing that since I’ve been in the league for years, man. When asked about the interaction on Thursday after practice, Westbrook said he was talking to the coaching staff about a missed coverage that led to the play. I’ve never had a problem being with my teammates so I’m going to continue doing what I’ve been doing.” LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Lonnie Walker IV all walked over – [the only person standing apart from them was Westbrook, who appeared to slap hands with Beverley, but seemingly ignored the call to convene.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNRCt6Exykg)

Hey everyone, it's L.A. Times beat writer Dan Woike with the final Lakers newsletter of the preseason. During the Lakers' lackluster performance Wednesday, ...

Maybe the Lakers will be good enough to navigate all of this, the constant threat of distraction both real and imagined always a viral video away. “You have to prepare yourself, you’ve got to get out in front of the fact that there’s going to be injuries. Anyway, this song is on my travel playlist, which carries me through naps all season and it’s one of my favorites. While it is “part of the business,” as players always say, it’s certainly not a pleasant one. “I was actually talking to the coaches and they cut that video in half as well. I was talking to the coaches about a missed coverage,” he said. So, you just have to prepare yourself and be at the forefront of that by plugging in different lineups.” He played nine minutes Wednesday against Minnesota and missed all four shots he attempted. Well, what kind of defense are the Lakers going to play, zone or Aimee Mann to Mann?Fun fact — Aimee Mann, lead singer of ‘Till Tuesday, is married to Michael Penn, who wrote and recorded “No Myth,” which also rules. [signed with the Lakers](https://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/story/2022-09-16/dennis-schroder-signs-contract-lakers-nba) late in free agency after he was one of the stars at the EuroBasket competition this summer, was expected to open the season in the team’s guard rotation. “So, I don’t pay no mind to it, man. He watched it and said he thought maybe he was talking to the referees or to someone on the bench and never noticed Beverley.

L.A. needs to make something work with a team that has googly eyes for Victor Wembanyama.

[provided an explanation](https://twitter.com/mcten/status/1580661437856288768) to the media on Thursday, saying that he always leaves the pregame huddle early, and at the free-throw line he was communicating with Lakers coaches. The Lakers have a chance at a postseason slot better than a play-in berth, but if they can’t figure out what to do with Westbrook, they might as well insert themselves into the Wembanyama sweepstakes. Looking back at how he approaches the player introductions, his defense is reasonable, but when Beverley gathered that huddle during a break in play, nothing Westbrook says can explain why he took no part in that. Davis actually went after him, and Westbrook declined to join the team and took his place along the baseline for free throws. Westbrook was disengaged from his teammates literally from the start. Darvin Ham told the media that he was going to use his

Murray did not play on Wednesday as the Kings faced the Suns on the road in their third preseason game.

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The Lakers are planning to bring Russell Westbrook off the bench in their final preseason game against the Kings, sources told ESPN. Coach Darvin Ham and ...

We don't want them to happen to any of our guys, let alone our main guys. Westbrook has started 1,004 of his 1,021 career NBA games -- coming off the bench only in his first 17 games as a rookie in 2008. We don't want them to happen.

The potential first step toward having Russell Westbrook anchor the Los Angeles Lakers' second unit will begin on Friday night. P.

They finished 11th in the Western Conference last season with a 33-49 record. He began his career coming off the bench for the Oklahoma City Thunder before being moved into the starting lineup on Nov. 18 against the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Westbrook has started each of the past 1,004 games he has played dating back to his rookie season in 2008-09. Westbrook's first season with Los Angeles was a disappointment. "As with most lineup constructions ahead of training camp and the season, it remains a very fluid situation," Buha and Amick wrote.

Russell Westbrook will come off the bench in the Lakers' final preseason game tonight against Sacramento, a possible sign of things to come.

Guys got to get accustomed to different habits and different ways of spacing, being in different positions. He can find himself in the corner, he can find himself in the dunker, he can find himself pushing and leading the break. “In terms of Russ, there’s running lanes, there are guys that are willing passers that are going to find him,” Ham said. We don’t want them to happen to any of our guys, let alone our main guys. We’ll have our main guys, but I want to institute different combinations.” Members of the Lakers organization and coaching staff pushed for the team to take this step last season, but former head coach Frank Vogel believed keeping Westbrook as a starter gave the team its best chance at figuring things out while keeping the nine-time All-Star engaged.

Russell Westbrook, who has struggled through the preseason, will come off the bench in the Lakers preseason finale on Friday night.

[Jalen Green](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/60023/jalen-green) and [Jabari Smith](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/66333/jabari-smith), but the hard lessons of how to win in the NBA are coming. I like [Keldon Johnson](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/51041/keldon-johnson) and [Devin Vassell](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/58316/devin-vassell) in San Antonio, but this is more about Gregg Popovich getting to teach, not wins. And [Russell Westbrook](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29376/russell-westbrook)… [Zion Williamson](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/50955/zion-williamson) and the Pelicans. [Domantas Sabonis](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30306/domantas-sabonis) and De’Aarron Fox, but I’m not sold they will defend well or consistently enough to make the playoffs. [Darvin Ham](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/28377/darvin-ham) will be a good NBA coach, but this roster will test him. They have quality depth with [Aaron Gordon](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30041/aaron-gordon), adding [Kentavious Caldwell-Pope](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29925/kentavious-caldwell-pope), the growth of Bones Highland, and others. The one wild card with Minnesota is how big a leap [Anthony Edwards](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/58299/anthony-edwards) makes, he could change the dynamic. [paid a steep price to plug](https://nba.nbcsports.com/2022/07/02/winners-losers-from-the-rudy-gobert-trade-to-the-timberwolves/) [Rudy Gobert](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29944/rudy-gobert) into the middle of their defense — that will make them better. But come the postseason there will be big questions about if they can hang with the best in the West, teams that will target the weaknesses of a [Karl-Anthony Towns](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30157/karl-anthony-towns) and Gobert front line. [Chris Paul](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29066/chris-paul) is not getting any younger, there are questions about distractions with [Deandre Ayton](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30572/deandre-ayton) plus the team being sold, and around the Suns the West has gotten better. [Jamal Murray](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30302/jamal-murray) and [Michael Porter Jr.](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30585/michael-porter-jr) back in the fold next to two-time MVP Nikola Jokic.

Darvin Ham seems to be entertaining a new role for the nine-time All-Star with just days to go until the start of the new season.

Speculation has run rampant after Westbrook’s underwhelming debut season with the team that the Lakers would look to trade the point guard before the 2022–23 campaign tipped off. Much has been made about Westbrook’s role with the Lakers this upcoming season after a disappointing year with the team during the 2021–22 campaign. Coach Darvin Ham and Westbrook have been exploring the possibility of having the nine-time All-Star quarterback L.A.’s second unit, rather than overlap too heavily with the likes of stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. [Lakers News: How LeBron James Tried To Court Damian Lillard To Join The Lakers In 2021](https://www.si.com/nba/lakers/news/how-lebron-james-tried-to-court-damian-lillard-to-join-the-lakers-ak1987?utm_source=recommendations&utm_medium=in-article&utm_campaign=end-of-story) [Warriors’ Green Discusses Contract Situation Entering Season](https://www.si.com/nba/2022/10/14/draymond-green-warriors-contract-situation-extension-player-option-free-agency?utm_source=recommendations&utm_medium=in-article&utm_campaign=end-of-story) [2022 NBA Most Valuable Player Futures](https://www.si.com/betting/video/2022/10/14/2022-nba-most-valuable-player-futures-luka-doncic-giannis-antetokoun?utm_source=recommendations&utm_medium=in-article&utm_campaign=end-of-story) [Anonymous NBA Scouts: Unfiltered Takes on Every Team in the West](https://www.si.com/nba/2022/10/14/anonymous-nba-scouts-unfiltered-western-conference-lakers-warriors-suns?utm_source=recommendations&utm_medium=in-article&utm_campaign=end-of-story) [Lakers](https://www.si.com/nba/team/los-angeles-lakers) plan to bring [Russell Westbrook](https://www.si.com/nba/player/russell-westbrook) off the bench in Friday’s preseason finale against the Kings, according to [ESPN’s Dave McMenamin and Adrian Wojnarowski](https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1580932854996865024?s=20&t=jMK01-NBKY_FaI5fLeMSrg).

The Los Angeles Lakers are making this bombshell decision on Russell Westbrook for their final NBA preseason game.

That is going to be the interesting dynamic here. Darvin Ham might see things that way. The franchise opens the 2022-23 campaign on Tuesday, October 18 against the Golden State Warriors.

The focus on Russell Westbrook's behavior during play stoppages was always coming. This is why the Lakers needed to trade him before the season.

Pelinka failed to do so, and now this stupidity surrounding where Westbrook stands in preparation for a game is just the latest impossible situation the Lakers Vice President of Basketball Operations has personally created. The very first move this offseason should have been trading Westbrook so the rest of the offseason wouldn’t have to be an attempt at retro-fitting talent to a hypothetical deal. It was a low point in Lakers history that should have been remedied as the top priority this offseason. And again, this all comes back to Pelinka’s continued belief that portions of an offseason take place in a vacuum that never has to mesh with decisions that either precede or follow them. This isn’t baseball, a raw combination of individual performances that get tallied up after nine innings to decide a winner. Look at the roster as it stands right now and try to tell me it wasn’t put together with an eventual Westbrook trade in mind. You’re goddamn right confirmation bias has played a part in analyzing anything and everything that happens from timeout to timeout. So yeah, I completely understand why Westbrook would roll his eyes when asked about fans’ reactions to something he’s done his entire career. All this could — and should — have been avoided. Yet there we went, deeper and deeper into the offseason with Westbrook on the roster, until finally, LeBron James’ unofficial minicamp was being planned. To everyone’s credit, they’ve handled things about as professionally as anyone could’ve hoped for, in their own ways. It doesn’t work like that, though, because last season happened, no matter how badly Rob Pelinka and the

Early in the first quarter, Westbrook was already in late-game form. After nailing a triple from the top of the three-point arc, Timberwolves starting small ...

In Westbrook's defense, it does appear that McDaniels was overexerting himself for a ball that was going to be the Lakers' anyway. Surprised and, it would appear, also somewhat irritated, McDaniels tossed the ball to Westbrook again. Westbrook repeated his action, throwing the ball back to McDaniels again. guard could then head beneath the stanchion and in-bound the basketball to resume play. How much impact his performance had on Darvin Ham's decision try the 6'3" vet as a [reserve](https://www.si.com/nba/lakers/news/la-will-try-russell-westbrook-as-sixth-man-in-preseason-finale-ak1987) tonight is hard to say, as purportedly the Lakers head coach had been discussing such a move with Westbrook throughout the offseason. McDaniels did wind up securing the ball, which he then immediately dished to Westbrook, so that the L.A.