Harry How is a photographer.
Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel was assured that he wouldn't face backlash if he benched Russell Westbrook.
According to Dave McMenamin, the Lakers brass told the coach to "do what you got to do", which set the stage for the nine-time All-Star to spend the last four minutes of Wednesday's game.
"I thought I was going to win the game by playing the guys that I thought were going to win the game," he said after the game.
The UCLA product continued to struggle with his shooting stroke against the Pacers, making just five of his 17 shots from the field, but it was a play at the defensive end that sparked the decision to bench him.
The final straw for the coaching staff was when Caris LeVert breezed past the Lakers star for a layup midway through the fourth quarter after he failed to follow the scouting report of defending the right-hand drive.
L.A. completely reworked the roster around Anthony Davis and LeBron James in the summer of 2016 after the acquisition of Russell Westbrook from the Washington Wizards.
The Lakers have hovered around.500 for most of the season and the NBA's best player hasn't given them a boost.
In 45 games, he has averaged 18 points, his lowest mark since 2009, along with 8.0 rebound and 7.8 assists. He is shooting just 43.3 percent from the field and 30.4 percent on threes.
The Lakers have a lot of questions to answer if they're going to emerge as a legitimate championship contender because of his dip in offensive production and the absence of James and Davis.
The hot seat has been landed on by Vogel. The Athletic's Bill Oram and Sam Amick reported Tuesday that the Lakers coach was at risk of being fired if the team didn't show sustained progress.
He said he's become good at blocking the outside noise throughout his career.
I don't feel like I'm under siege. It's easy to do my job. I'm focused on the task at hand. I've always been that way. It's not up to me whether it's fair or not. The territory comes with it. Being the Lakers' coach comes with it. We have high expectations. This fan base really cares. It's a large market. To be honest with you, I wouldn't want it any other way. I want people to care. I want our group to command excellence. That's what we tell ourselves.
The benching of Westbrook shows that the coaching staff is under some pressure to get the team moving in the right direction, even if it means frustrating one of the roster's core players.
The Lakers kick off a six-game road trip against the Magic on Friday, and the role of Westbrook will surely be a key storyline.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
