Lakers Want to Demote Russell Westbrook to the Bench, But Frank Vogel Has Pushed Back
The good news is that the Lakers are coming off of their biggest win of the season. They faced off against the Warriors and LeBron James absolutely went off for 56 points. But the bad news is that they still have a lot to figure out.
One thing they need to really hone in on is the usage of Russell Westbrook. The Lakers still have no idea how to get him rotated in, and it's shown in his inability to create shots. But a change could be coming very soon.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, there are many in the Lakers upper-management that want Westbrook demoted. They would prefer to have him come off of the bench, something that Frank Vogel mentioned earlier this week.
But according to Woj, Vogel has been the one pushing back on that.
"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."
The Lakers bringing Westbrook in off of the bench would be a very bold decision. Having your highest-paid player as the sixth man isn't a great look, but it's what they're left with. Westbrook is inefficient with the ball, turning it over at bad times and often taking very bad shots.
But his athletic versatility could make a huge difference off of the bench, especially late in games. If he could put up numbers off of the bench as he did against the Warriors, the Lakers might have found the magic formula.
