When Russell Westbrook was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers prior to last season, some thought he could find a way to fit in with LeBron James, but everyone knew it wouldn’t be easy.
Westbrook’s maiden voyage with the Purple and Gold was an unmitigated disaster. The team failed to reach the play-in tournament, and he was regarded as the proverbial albatross that was taking the team down with him.
Since Westbrook was moved to the bench early this season, he has actually been sparking the Lakers and helping them win games. His individual stats don’t necessarily reflect that, however. His shooting efficiency is actually lower than it was last year.
But according to the advanced statistic known as net rating, Westbrook has been fitting in just fine with James this season.
In fact, when the two have been on the floor with center Thomas Bryant, their net rating has skyrocketed.
A stat I find fascinating: Cleaning the Glass says LeBron and Russ have a plus-7.5 net rating on the court together this season, which is good.
If you filter those minutes to just the 221 possessions with Thomas Bryant on the floor as well, the net rating jumps to plus-19.4.
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) January 8, 2023
As Westbrook has played better and better this season, the likelihood of L.A. looking to trade him has reportedly gone down. He is certainly making a remarkable turnaround, not just on the court but also in the court of public opinion.
