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NBA and Los Angeles Lakers superstar Russell Westbrook has come under immense criticism this season for his performances, with a lot of folks doubting his legacy as a player.
Appearing on ESPN's morning show First Take, former NBA player Jay Williams spoke about how this season shouldn't tarnish Westbrook's legacy and he should continue to be seen as one of the all-time greats. Williams said:
"Do I think less of Charles Barkley because he didn’t win a championship? Charles Barkley is still a hall of fame and I think we sometimes lose sight of how special of a player Russell Westbrook is. Does he come with some of his flaws? Sure it does. But it still doesn't take away from how special he is on the court."
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Russell Westbrook has had a troubling season as the team he is playing for and has been accused of not being able to share the court with bonafide superstars of the game and produce winning basketball.
Why has it gone so wrong for Russell Westbrook with the Lakers?
Russell Westbrook's return to his native Los Angeles to play for the LA Lakers alongside LeBron James this season was viewed as a homecoming that would bring the championship to the franchise this season. However, things haven't panned out that way with the team barely in a Play-In spot with a 31-44 record.
Westbrook is currently averaging 18.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game this season. He has shot over 44% from the field and at a paltry rate of 29.4% from beyond the arc. The 33-year-old is also averaging nearly four turnovers a night and the sheer pace at which he plays has been hard to keep up with for the oldest roster in the league.
Westbrook's defense has also been shockingly poor this season. His team is ranked 21st in the league in defensive ratings. All of these factors, coupled with his exhorbant salary of over $44 million, made him an almost immovable prospect before the trade deadline day.
The former OKC Thunder superstar has a history of not getting along with other superstars on the court either. He has struggled to establish chemistry with the likes of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, although the latter has missed a lot of games this season.
The only way forward for him and the LA-based franchise seems to be a move away from the team to a place where he can run the show and be the man since his mammoth contract is acting as a roadblock for the Lakers or Russell Westbrook needs to accept the proposition of coming off the bench and running the second unit.
