Despite the fact that his future seemed up in the air in the days leading up to the NBA trade deadline, Russell Westbrook made it past Thursday afternoon at 3 p.m. EST without getting moved. As a result, the Los Angeles Lakers are hoping that this group can figure it out after a less-than-convincing first 56 games.
Westbrook did not play in the Lakers’ final game before the deadline, as he sat out for the first time all season. The official reason that the team game was Westbrook was dealing with back tightness, and on Friday, Westbrook met with the media and discussed the ailment. He even gave his theory for why he thinks he’s dealing with back issues: extended time on the bench.
Russell Westbrook said he felt discomfort in his back against Milwaukee, and adds that part of the issue is that he’s not accustomed “to sitting down for long stretches”.
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) February 11, 2022
Russell Westbrook on his back injury: “It comes and goes. … I’m not accustomed to sitting down for long stretches” and having to get up and get up quickly.
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) February 11, 2022
Westbrook is third on the Lakers, behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis, in minutes per game and first in total minutes played this season, but there have been games this season where Frank Vogel has elected to keep him on the bench for long stretches — there have been two instances lately, following games against the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks, where Vogel has made clear he benched Westbrook because his performance was not up to par.
Next up for the Lakers is a showdown with the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night in San Francisco. It is unclear if Westbrook will play or if his back tightness will continue to keep him sidelined.