Russell Westbrook Rues Wasted NBA Season With Lakers

KEY POINTS

Russell Westbrook claims he was never given a chance to truly strut his wares
Westbrook is unsure why Frank Vogel decided to bench him in several games
The former MVP was on the receiving end of criticisms during his entire Lakers stint

Russell Westbrook was supposed to be someone who could complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis with the Los Angeles Lakers.

It was an uncanny season for the 2017 NBA MVP who is now headed into an offseason with plenty of questions.

Although he has a $47 million player option, the chances of him staying in Hollywood are not looking good.

Averaging just 18.5 points in 78 games with the franchise, this was the nine-time All-Star’s lowest total since the 2009-10 season.

According to Westbrook, he felt that he was just not given a fair chance to help the team.

"I just felt like I was never given a fair chance to be who I needed to be to help this team," he told reporters as quoted by Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register.

Compared to other teams he has played for in the past, the 33-year-old was accustomed to playing a more dominant role.

But with James and Davis, he had to adjust his game even if the Lakers’ top stars wanted him to just be his usual self.

It will be recalled that James and Davis said on multiple occasions to “let Russ be Russ.”

But it seems that there was something more to that with Westbrook saying: “Yeah, but that wasn’t true. Let’s be honest.”

Aside from James and Davis, Westbrook also had his share of issues with head coach Frank Vogel.

His minutes were cut and there were notable times that the 48-year-old coach would opt to bench Westbrook which did not sit well with the 6-foot-3 guard.

"I've never had an issue with any of my coaches before," Westbrook said. "I'm not sure what his issue was with me."

With those issues in mind, it will be interesting if Westbrook stays in Los Angeles.

Vogel is no longer the head coach of the Lakers, possibly something that could entice Westbrook to continue donning the signature purple and gold.

However, not many are convinced that Westbrook will stay on. He has gotten his rough share of criticism, particularly from Lakers fans.

Hence, seeing Westbrook back as a Laker may depend on who the team taps as its next head coach.