Lakers News: Russell Westbrook Focused On Maximizing Two-Way Play
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In a fairly terse postgame press conference Wednesday (but, you know, all things considered, not as terse as it could have been!), your Los Angeles Lakers' new sixth man Russell Westbrook spoke with reporters about how he's fitting into his reconstituted role.
In L.A.'s 120-117 overtime win over the New Orleans Pelicans Wednesday, Westbrook scored 13 points on an efficient 6-of-10 shooting from the floor, and nearly notched a triple-double with nine dimes and seven boards. He showed off his abilities as a two-way player, doing his darnedest to hound Pellies guards CJ McCollum, Devonte' Graham and Jose Alvarado.
L.A. is +18 in its minutes with Westbrook across the team's most recent two games, both victories. During his three-game bench tenure, the 6'3" UCLA product is averaging 16.3 points per game on 46.2% field goal shooting, plus 7.7 boards, 6.7 dishes, and 0.7 denials.
When asked by what sounds like ESPN's Dave McMenamin about how he and the Lakers can keep up their winning ways (having beaten two straight postseason contenders after losing their first five contests of the year), Westbrook was... concise in his response. "Just keep competing," he offered simply.
Another reporter tried a different tact, asking Brodie specifically how his earlier-than-usual substitution in place of starter Patrick Beverley in the game's first quarter helped L.A. stay in the game. "Just competing" was the response.
In the context of some of the truly contentious conversations we've had to witness at other pressers lately, Westbrook's closed-off start to this podium time and mild snark honestly doesn't seem so bad.
"I know that [we're] competing on both ends... that's what I'm doing and that's what i can do," he said when pressed. "Just trying to be who I am, impacting the game on both sides, defending at a high level. Doing what I do best with the ball, the rest should take care of itself"
