Russell Westbrook has been the most slandered player in the NBA this year. In the eyes of fans, it has been for very good reason as Westbrook has failed to live up to expectations. The Lakers are a mess right now, and Westbrook has done very little to actually change that. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that Westbrook struggled again last night as the Lakers lost to the Dallas Mavericks.
In last night's tilt, Westbrook only managed 12 points, while getting six rebounds and eight assists. It was not a performance worth writing home about, and after the game, Westbrook was forced to answer questions about what went wrong. As Westbrook ultimately explained, it is now up to him to fix things and get better down this final stretch of the season.
"What I'm doing right now ain't good enough," Westbrook said. "It ain't good enough." This is a sentiment that has been shared by fans all throughout the season, so it should come as no surprise that it's how Westbrook feels himself. After all, there were big expectations for Westbrook this season, and he has not lived up to a single one.
The Lakers are now ninth in the Western Conference, which means they have a lot of work to do if they want to make the playoffs. If Westbrook can get back to his old ways, perhaps this Lakers team can finally make that comeback fans have been waiting on.