2. Russell Westbrook
When you really boil it down, all of the fundamental issues with the Los Angeles Lakers this season start with Russell Westbrook.
The team was unable to bring in quality depth because of Westbrook’s massive contract (and the fact that they traded away three valuable rotation players to get him). Westbrook also is a horrible fit next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis, making the team worse as a result when is on the court with those two.
Despite that, he is still not the no. 1 person to blame for the team’s struggles. While the issues all stem from him, these are not surprise issues. The Lakers didn’t trade for Westbrook expecting to get someone else. All the writing was on the wall for this to happen this season.
Westbrook has always been someone who does not play well with superstars and lowers the ceiling. His contract figure was not a surprise, it was not a secret. The team knew exactly how much they would be paying for his services.
Yes, the biggest problem with this team is Russell Westbrook but this was predictable. Westbrook is who he is and he has not changed that in his career. We can blame him all we want (and we absolutely still should) but it also should have been expected.