Russell Westbrook and coach Darvin Ham have ‘agreed’.
Just days after Westbrook suggested leaving the bench led to his hamstring injury, Ham insisted he and the veteran guard are on the same page on Thursday night.
And for Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Westbrook was back in the starting XI.
“We moved on, we hit it off,” Ham said via ESPN. “As coaches of this team, we will do what is best for our team to be as successful as possible. And I’ll leave it at that.”
Westbrook believes the bench led to a hamstring injury
Westbrook came off the bench during the Lakers’ preseason finale against the Sacramento Kings, something Ham said he’ll try to see how he’d work to manage the second unit.
But Westbrook only played five minutes of that game and strained his Achilles tendon in the process.
On Tuesday night, after losing the season opener to the Golden State Warriors, Westbrook made it clear why he believed he was injured. Because he came from the bank.
“I’ve been doing the same thing for 14 years,” Westbrook said Tuesday. “Honestly, I didn’t even know what to do before the game. To be honest, I was just trying to figure out how to stay warm and loose… It’s something I just wasn’t used to.”
However, Ham insisted that could not be the case.
“Let me get that straight,” Ham said via ESPN. “The Lakers, myself, my staff, we would not in any way compromise, mold or mold any player or staff. Physically, mentally, spiritually. We don’t stand for that. That’s not what we’re about. That’s not who we are.”
Westbrook had 19 points and 11 rebounds in 31 minutes in Tuesday’s loss.
While he has struggled at times since landing in Los Angeles and His presence hasn’t always been a welcome sight for fansHam said Westbrook still has a lot of value to bring to the Lakers.
You just have to use it correctly.
“He’s been there for a long time. He’s been a high-level player for a very long time. So I know what it’s about and what it’s like,” Ham said on ESPN. “But on the other hand, you have to be willing to do whatever the team asks of you. And that’s called being a professional. So however we use him, there has to be a willingness to make sacrifices for his teammates.” And overall good for the team if that approach is going to work out.”
Darvin Ham insisted he would never “put any player or staff at risk” after Russell Westbrook opened up about the causes of his hamstring injury. (AP/Jae C Hong)