Lakers News: Russell Westbrook Supports Patrick Beverley At The Latter's Introductory Presser
Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley wasted no time showing gathered journalists that all was well in Lakerland today during Beverley's first press conference with his new club.
Jovan Buha of The Athletic captured the moment when a post-workout Beverley entered a conference room at UCLA Health Training Center and expediently embraced a waiting Westbrook in a man hug.
If you want to play "Body Language Doctor" with the clip (and really, why wouldn't you, we've got lots to unpack here), you could note that Westbrook, dressed casually in gym shorts, an oversized tee, a cap, and flip-flops, also appears as if he's just returned from -- or is just about to head to -- a workout of his own. The 6'3" 2017 MVP starts off leaning in a corner, almost hidden behind a barricade away from the microphones and video cameras of the media scrum. After his one-second embrace with Beverley, Westbrook backs up for Beverley to pass him en route to the front of the room.
Could we read into this deferential behavior at Beverley own conference enough to assume this means Westbrook will be similarly deferential to Beverley hierarchically on the Lakers? Maybe Westbrook finally sees the light and will accept a reduced bench role spotting Beverley, or at least playing alongside the 6'1" Beverley in an undersized backcourt. We probably shouldn't infer any of this from a five-second clip, but hey, it's early September, what do you want from us?
Later on at the presser, Westbrook would dish out a clean towel so that a sweating Beverley could make himself a bit more presentable on-camera.
This early cooperation between these two proud, grizzled point guards is certainly a positive thing. Head coach Darvin Ham seems to hope that he can coach Westbrook, or at least that's been his public message thus far.
There is no way Russell Westbrook playing the way he did last season will contribute to winning basketball (L.A. went 33-49 with Westbrook playing major minutes in 78 of those contests), nor has he ever shown a willingness to adapt his game to teammates or circumstances, and this writer thinks L.A. should continue to explore trades to bring back more defense and shooting. But if there's anything we know about the way this Lakers ownership and front office have operated for these past two post-title seasons, it's that they almost never do what makes sense from a basketball perspective.
