"Russell Westbrook did not want to play defense...He still thinks he's an MVP candidate" - NBA analyst asserts Lakers to be aggressive and less dependent on LeBron James, says Russell Westbrook stats are hollow

Russell Westbrook seems destined to run it back with LeBron James and Anthony Davis after a poor first season. Despite the Lakers' attempts to trade him, they were unable to find a suitable package for the former MVP. Sports commentator Dan Patrick believes the Lakers need to be less reliant on LeBron and that Westbrook needs to change his role for the team.

On the "Dan Patrick Show", he said:

I don't want LeBron being the guy saying 'hey, we got to play defense' at his age. I want the younger guys saying it's up to us to be aggressive on defense, to play better, to want to play defense.

"Russell Westbrook did not want to play defense, didn't fight through screens, didn't listen to Frank Vogel. He was not a good teammate and they did try to get rid of him but who's going to want him?

"If Russ doesn't realize that he needs to be more like Andre Iguodala then he's going to have a hard time finding a new team, but if he does reinvent himself as a guy who's willing to go hustle, play defense, do the dirty work."

Russell Westbrook will enter the upcoming season in the final year of his contract with the Lakers. He will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Patrick continued:

"He still thinks he's an MVP candidate and those numbers are hollow. When he's averaging 18, 8, and 7, those are good numbers, they are, but if you do a deep dive on those numbers, they're not good at all."

Watch Dan Patrick's comments on Russell Westbrook and the Lakers below:

Can Russell Westbrook bounce back?

Westbrook will look to bounce back after a tough 2021-2022 season. Westbrook mentioned it doesn't matter to him if the LA Lakers don't want him.

While Westbrook has had a Hall of Fame career, his resume lacks a NBA championship. His fit with LeBron James remains questionable since both of them need the ball in their hands to be effective.

Westbrook coming off the bench could be a possibility for the Lakers, since it would allow him to play freely while LeBron rests. If he is sharing the floor with LeBron, Westbrook's focus should be slashing, rather than a spot-up shooter.