Jeanie Buss walks back comment saying Russell Westbrook was Lakers' best player last year
The first year of the Russell Westbrook experience in Los Angeles did not go exactly as planned for him or the Lakers.
The team was decimated by injuries to LeBron James and Anthony Davis, while Westbrook himself struggled to make the type of impact he did during his prime years in Oklahoma City. He averaged just 18 points per game (the third-lowest total of his career), was not efficient and was a target for criticism all year.
Based on preseason expectations and the star power of the roster, the 2021-22 season was a pretty colossal failure across the board for the Lakers.
That is why it was a little surprising to hear team owner Jeanie Buss say on a podcast with The Athletic's Sam Amick this week that Westbrook was the Lakers' best player last season.
Said Buss, via The Athletic:
“All I can say is that, from my point of view, (Westbrook) was our best player last year. He played pretty much every single game, showed up, worked hard. You know, I would have loved to have seen what this team would have looked like if they stayed healthy. It’s really tough to win when Anthony Davis isn’t on the court. LeBron was hurt a lot of the season. But Russ showed up every game and played hard every night. And, you know, I just really appreciate him for who he is and what he brings to the team.”
Certainly eye-opening words given the way the season played out.
When Amick reached out for a follow-up after the podcast, Buss sort of walked back her "best player" comment and clarified that the word she should have used was "consistent" and that he played and started in 78 games.
James (56) was the only player on the roster to start in more than 50 games during the season.
Being available is definitely a big plus, but there is no question that when healthy and in the lineup James and Davis were still the team's best players.
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