The Russell Westbrook conundrum: Go with your head, or your heart?

On Sunday night, a night where originally the biggest news was the retirement of the great George Mikan’s no. 99 jersey, Los Angeles Lakers fans were blessed with ‘mana from heaven’ in the form of the first win of the season for the squad.

It was beautiful. There were great spurts of defense leading to transition buckets, Golden State-like passing and ball movement, and best of all great — and for our standards, I mean GREAT —three-point shooting with the team hitting a scorching 43% from behind the arc.

Darvin Ham was showered by water and love in the locker room post-game after everything he’s been preaching all offseason finally came to fruition while his biggest project of them all, Russell Westbrook, had quite arguably his best and most memorable game playing for the purple and gold.

The point guard finished off the bench with 18 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists, making not only the right play left and right, but also drawing energy, and cheers, from the Laker crowd. Feels weird typing that.

If the Lakers had such a massive win for both the organization and fans alike, why do I find myself so torn? A week ago if you asked me, I was ready to send Russ to Shanghai much less the Pacers or Spurs for a deal.

But after the Minnesota game and now after Sunday night, I’m not ashamed to admit that Westbrook has drawn me right back in. It would be an easy choice to be right back on the Russ train if it weren’t for Monday’s immediately following news.

Myles Turner made it known to the Lakers front office just how valuable a player of his caliber could be to the Los Angeles Lakers organization in an interview with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

In a few words, he said, pull the trigger. Why this had to come out the morning following the first win of the season, I have no clue, but it did bring up a real conundrum for me. Given the recent success not only of the team with a win but even before that with Westbrooks’s personal success off the bench it begs the question; what do the Los Angeles Lakers do with Russell Westbrook?

If the Los Angeles Lakers follow their head with Russell Westbrook:

My head doesn’t forget. It simply can not brush over the missed layups, shots off the side of the backboard, and some of the most brutal and maddening turnovers I’ve ever witnessed. On paper, Russell Westbrook is a player being paid $47 million this season to effectively be a sixth man.

He is a player who is now 33 years old and seemingly a good bit past his prime, and a player who, over his time with the Lakers, has been difficult to deal with when it comes to coaches and players.

And while Sunday night’s win felt incredible, it doesn’t take away from the fact that the team has a glaring weakness, and that weakness is their abysmal 3-point shot. When an elite 26-year-old big man who just so happens to be elite for his position from behind the arc makes it known that he would advise the purple and gold to go get him even if it means trading Westbrook, you go get him… right?

If the Los Angeles Lakers follow their heart with Russell Westbrook:

My heart sees a player towards the end of an undoubtedly first-ballot Hall-of-Fame career, who plays every single night as hard as he possibly can, has had about as rough of a go with a new team as any superstar has ever had, and has still yet to win a ring.

Again, if you asked me at any point last season, or even as recently as a week ago if I wanted him gone, the answer would’ve been a resounding yes.

The defense this season is on lock again, however, thanks to the future 2022-23 DPOY Anthony Davis. Seeing what the team could possibly be after just one good night of shooting the ball has me rethinking. What if the Lakers could make this work? What is some decent luck shooting the ball and Westbrook finding his rhythm coming off the bench is enough for the team to find major success?

The thought of Russell hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy over his head as a Los Angeles Laker would keep a smile on my face for about a year and if it means turning down Turner to do it, I might just be here for it.

Or the Los Angeles Lakers have a third option for Russell Westbrook…

There is a third option. Depending on what Indiana is willing to take from Pelinka and the Lakers, there is a world where the team gets Turner and keeps Russ. If the Pacers were to go for a deal somewhere in the ballpark of Kendrick Nunn or Patrick Beverley and one of the team’s second-round picks for Turner that would be ideal.

Because although the main benefit of Turner would be his ability to consistently play the 5 and give AD the freedom to play his more natural position of the 4, his skill spacing the floor with the 3 would for sure open up more opportunity for a certain PG as well.

I think we all would love to see that PG running and gunning with tons of space. Crypto Arena sure loved it Sunday night.