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The Los Angeles Lakers have already been eliminated from playoff contention and are in the midst of an eight-game losing streak.
One of the reasons for the Lakers struggles was the play of Russell Westbrook, who has a career-worst player efficiency rating.
Ramona Shelburne did a deep dive into what went wrong for the Lakers this season and wrote about it. The Lakers lost faith in the point guard as a ball-handler early in the season, according to Shelburne.
A team source told Shelburne that they lost faith in Russ as a ball handler after the first few weeks.
The Lakers acquired the nine-time All-Star from the Wizards in a blockbuster deal.
The reasons why the Lakers are 18 games under.500 go deeper than just one player.
He has taken his fair share of criticism, and there have been some heated press conferences as the losses mounted.
A team source told Shelburne that the problem with Russ was his response to all of it.
Russ has been in a dark corner and he doesn't know who to trust or who to believe.
The team was shorthanded because of injuries to Anthony Davis and LeBron James. The Lakers didn't get enough consistent production from the group of role players and veterans assembled around the Big Three. The defense was among the best in the NBA in 2020-21, but it wasn't as good this season.
The Lakers must go back to the drawing board, and at this rate it is hard to see him in purple and gold again. A fresh start is the best bet for both sides.
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