Russell Westbrook was most definitely not a happy camper in the aftermath of his debut in purple and gold the other day. It wasn’t simply that the Lakers lost, although he did touch on that briefly — make that very briefly — when he met members of the media. His requisite post-mortem lasted all of five questions, and his responses were clipped and delivered with a long face; if nothing else, these were telling indications of his state of mind. He had wanted to start the rest of his National Basketball Association career with flourish; instead, he wound up with an embarrassing stat line, his game-worst minus 23 in 35 minutes on the floor underscoring his ineffectiveness.
To be sure, Westbrook has been legendarily hard on himself. The very traits that make him a singular force in a league full of marquee names likewise accentuate his Hyde side. It’s why his acquisition by the Lakers will be under constant scrutiny, and why resident stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis took pains to talk to him and reassure him of his importance to the cause. Considering his predilections, however, it predictably proved to be an exercise in futility. It’s not in him — and just not him — to lighten up. His constant quest for perfection through the use of a skill set that essentially makes it a pipe dream keeps him in a constant state of flux.
It’s too early to say the Lakers are doomed to fail in its grand experiment. One setback does not an entire season make. That said, the roller-coaster ride they took in succumbing to the Warriors at home highlights the need for them to adjust, and fast. It wasn’t that James and Davis played atrociously. It was that they played extremely well and still had to take the L. That’s alarming, especially given the potential of the supporting cast. Bottom line, Westbrook has to pull his weight.
Outcomes change dispositions, of course. Steph Curry, for example, could not help, but describe his effort as “trash,” the triple-double notwithstanding. Yet, he was all smiles when the battlesmoke cleared. It’s precisely what James and Davis want Westbrook to do; sometimes, in the midst of all the garbage, he would do well to stop and smell the roses.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.