Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel doesn’t seem to rule out bringing Russell Westbrook off the bench in the upcoming games. The Lakers appear desperate for potential changes after once again going down against the LA Clippers.
“We’re talking about all the possibilities,” Vogel replied after the 111:132 defeat when asked whether the team had discussed not including Westbrook in the starting five. The Lakers coaching staff is constantly looking for solutions and leaves no stone unturned.
The Lakers recently brought another playmaker to the team in DJ Augustin, who was fired by the Houston Rockets in early February. Augustin scored 3 points and gave 6 assists against the Clippers in his debut for the Lakers.
With 17 points, 7/16 FG, 8 rebounds and 3 assists, Westbrook didn’t do too badly on offense, but was repeatedly left behind on defense against Reggie Jackson. His former teammate at OKC handed Westbrook 36 points, a season-high for Jackson.
The third quarter, which they gave up 18:40, was particularly devastating for the Lakers. They had previously completed the first half with a 14-0 run. The difference between these two phases, according to Westbrook: “We didn’t get any stops. It’s as simple as that.”
Lebron James and co. play down rivalry against Clippers
“We’re a Frank Vogel team, so defense will always be a priority,” said LeBron James, before going into tactical details and then summarizing: “So far this year, defense has been very challenging. We’ve lost a lot of games because our defense has collapsed.”
James also downplayed the importance of the rivalry with the Clippers, only admitting: “They were the better team this season”. The Clippers have won their seventh consecutive game with the Lakers, under head coach Tyronn Lue they remain unbeaten against city rivals.
However, the rivalry has long been dominated by the Clippers, who have held a 33-9 record against the Lakers since the 2011-12 season. Westbrook, who was born in Los Angeles, did not attach any particular importance to the sweep suffered this season against the Clippers: “I do not make anything of it”.
When asked about the frequent criticism of his game this season, the 33-year-old was cold: “I’ve heard criticism since I was born.”
