Russell Westbrook’s recent performances for the Lakers have escalated the fanbase’s disdain for him into something much larger.
Russell Westbrook has received harsh criticism for his recent performances
Russell Westbrook’s recent performances for the Lakers have escalated the fanbase’s disdain for him into something much larger. Fans are hoping for a trade or a dramatic turnaround from Russ to save the Lakers’ season, which has already begun 0-3 with Westbrook putting in poor performances in the first two games, followed by an equally poor performance against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Someone went on an impassioned rant on Twitter during the ‘Late Night Lake Show’ fan spaces, targeting Westbrook for his extremely poor mid-range attempt with 15 seconds left on the clock, which caused them to lose to a Jerami Grant game-winner.
— Late Night Lake Show (@LateNightLakers) October 23, 2022
“Where the vets at? I need Jared Dudley on this guy’s ass right now. I want Rondo on this guy’s ass right now. I ain’t with all that lip-putting stuff, that’s why Coach Ham put your ass on the side. You ain’t getting back on defense? If you don’t wanna get back, take a game off. If you feel that tired, take a game off. I need you to get back, let’s start this. No. 2, you Westbrook fans, I ain’t forget about you. Who thought it was right to bring him back into the game? Who the f**k on that bench thought it was smart to bring Russell Westbrook back into the game? Austin Reaves was hooping, Troy Brown was hoping, and Juan-Toscano was doing the right things on the dirty work. They’re playing defense and making shots, Patrick Beverley looked better than Russ in this bi**h. And Russ came back and think he gonna hit the game-winner? You think you’ll hit a middie? Get the f**k out of here. What made you think you’re gonna hit the middie now? What made Coach Ham think you’re gonna come play defense when we need you now?
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A tiger’s stripes do not change, and this fan is completely correct. Westbrook has demonstrated what he brings to the Lakers in their current configuration. Expecting anything different from Russ is foolish, as we have seen him have more performances like this in LA than anywhere else.
Are fans being too critical?
Fans are notoriously critical and demand changes at the first sign of trouble. However, with Russ, the fanbase has witnessed the same problems plague their team time and again. This isn’t healthy for them, it’s not healthy for the team, and it’s certainly not healthy for Russ.
Westbrook’s recent fan interactions demonstrated that this fanbase would rather move on from Russ than stick with this experimental lineup for another full season. It didn’t work last year, and it’s unlikely to work this year.
Fans in large markets are usually the harshest critics, as Russ has discovered with the Lakers. This stint with his hometown team has turned ugly for him, and everyone should hope that his reputation isn’t permanently harmed as a result of his Lakers’ career.
