Russell Westbrook had a truly historic performance in honor of the recently passed Nipsey Hussle with a 20-point, 20-rebound, 21-assist performance to pull away from the Lakers for a 119-103 victory on Tuesday.
The Good: Russell Westbrook
Often times, Westbrook is the focus of much criticism. In a league where efficiency is the new barometer for success, Westbrook’s old school mentality does not lend itself to being a fan favorite outside of Oklahoma City.
Even on Tuesday, Westbrook shot only 8-of-23 from the field. But criticisms be damned, Westbrook’s constant energy makes him a handful for opponents, as was the case against the Lakers. Without anyone in the ballpark of him athletically, Westbrook had his way with Alex Caruso and Rajon Rondo.
Honorable mentions: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the tank returning to course
The Bad: Rajon Rondo
There’s been a lot of talk about Rondo and the veterans versus the G League players. But, in particular, Rondo’s play in contrast to Caruso’s has been alarmingly bad. Rondo, a veteran, has looked every bit of his age in the latter stages of this season. On Tuesday, he had a plus-minus of -25. Caruso did not have a positive plus-minus but still finished with a -2, tied for third-best on the team on the night.
Caruso has established himself as a legitimate NBA player and there’s a strong argument to be made for the Lakers to bring him back next season.
The Ball: Another night out
In lieu of talking about Ball, who is obviously still out for the season, we’ll provide an update on the tank.
The Lakers have fallen to 11th in the lottery race with their recent string of wins and are just a half-game ahead of the Hornets in 12th. But each of the Lakers’ last four games is against a playoff team. Barring a late upset, the Lakers should finish 12th in the lottery race.
