The arrival of Russell Westbrook made the Los Angeles Lakers more of a powerhouse than they already were as the point guard adds a level of athleticism, physicality, and talent at the position that was previously missing.
Westbrook joins LeBron James and Anthony Davis to form the NBA’s newest “Big 3,” which will make them one of the more exciting teams to watch. While it can be argued that the Lakers could have chalked up last season’s disappointing finish to injuries and run the same roster back, the front office felt that acquiring Westbrook would help them in their quest to capture banner No. 18.
After trading for Westbrook, Los Angeles made sure to surround him with shooters and defenders, and the guard was excited about all the new additions.
“Yeah, man, it’s amazing,” Westbrook said. “The roster’s great. A bunch of guys that I’ve already known previously, which is even better. And I’m more excited just to like I said before, I’m always interested in as I come into the season, always looking the roster and figuring out how I can make other guys better, and it’s as simple as that.
“I want to be able to leave an impact on people when they either play with me or come across me in a positive way. I’ll find ways to do that with that roster, but I’m looking forward to getting together with all the guys and figuring it out.”
As far as the Lakers’ chances to win it all, Westbrook was confident in the current squad.
“To be honest, my mindset is I never really worry about no other team. To be honest, we only can control what’s in our locker room and how we’re able to compete and go out. I put our team up against anybody. That’s where I stand with that.”
While some players like Blake Griffin are skeptical about Westbrook working out in L.A., the fact of the matter is the Lakers are more talented on paper this time around and have as good a shot as anyone to win the 2022 NBA Championship. Hopefully, Westbrook can make it work, and the Purple and Gold find themselves hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy next June.
Talen Horton-Tucker reveals how Russell Westbrook will affect him
While all eyes will be on Westbrook, Talen Horton-Tucker is another player that will be interesting to watch throughout the year. The Lakers are high on the young guard, as evidenced by the three-year deal they inked him to, and he is expected to assume a much larger role this season.
With Westbrook in town, Horton-Tucker talked about how the All-Star will affect him and brought up his work ethic specifically.