Russell Westbrook in all of his 61 games for the Lakers this season, just as expected when he joined the team last summer. However, his struggles on the court prompted not only the fans but also people inside the organization to call for the former NBA MVP to start games on the bench.
Reportedly, there is a push on head coach Frank Vogel from multiple people within the Lakers to demote Westbrook from the starting lineup. So far Vogel is reluctant to do that. Though he admitted vaguely that such possibility was considered.
Via Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
“There has been an increasing push among many in the Los Angeles Lakers organization to demote nine-time All-Star guard Russell Westbrook from the starting lineup, but so far coach Frank Vogel has resisted bringing him off the bench, sources told ESPN.”
This season Westbrook is averaging 18.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists in 34.4 minutes per game for Los Angeles.
