"You would have been better off with just a random bench player" - NBA analyst holds Russell Westbrook accountable for Lakers' awful season last year

NBA analyst Nick Wright took a dig at Russell Westbrook by saying he was a hindrance to the LA Lakers last season.

Russell Westbrook played the highest number of games for the LA Lakers in the 2021-22 NBA season. But his performances were below par as he led the franchise in turnovers and recorded the second-most turnovers in the league. The Lakers are now keen to trade him away from the franchise.

Nick Wright, on his podcast "What's Right With Nick Wright," stated that the mercurial guard was a hindrance to the Lakers every time he was on the court.

The Fox Sports analyst thinks that the Lakers would have been better off with a "random" player coming off the bench. He also said the nine-time NBA All-Star was not a good fit and that his trade was not a success.

"Russ was a hindrance to winning when he was on the court," Wright said. "You would have been better off with just a random bench player. I'm not saying that's who he's going to be for the rest of his career, but that's what he was last year. He didn't fit, it didn't work, he also seemed to get worse at the things that he hadn't been good at before."

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What does the 2022-23 season hold for Russell Westbrook?

Russell Westbrook's future is seemingly uncertain as the LA Lakers are more interested than ever to unload his salary with Patrick Beverley signed to the franchise.

With a career average of 22.8 points, 7.4 rebounds and 8.4 assists in 1021 games, Russell Westbrook has established himself as one of the greats of the NBA. He made the NBA's list of the 75 greatest players in history.

While his run with the LA Lakers has not gone as planned, it does not by any means define his career. During his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the guard snatched two scoring and assist champion awards each. He was also phenomenal in his one-year stint with the Houston Rockets, leading the league in assists and the franchise in rebounds and steals.

If the 2017 MVP gets traded away, he might rediscover his best form in the absence of pressure.