Magic Johnson's advice to Russell Westbrook: 'Stop trying to fight the media and the fans and go out and perform'
Source: Twitter
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![Kamenetzky Brothers](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1194771727819034629/ahhBbIpW_normal.jpg)
For the sickos who like to watch, Monday’s @LockedOnLakers pod, YouTube version! We break down Sunday’s loss to Portland, including some promising defense, bad shooting, and bad decisions by Russell Westbrook, Darvin Ham. @LockedOnNetwork @LockedOnNBAPods
youtu.be/CxtHyBOVaoM?t=6 – 4:27 PM
![Eric Pincus](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/3611020926/1c288811c3bc4799af324e09268547f9_normal.jpeg)
ICYMI: Latest @BleacherReport It’s Time for LA Lakers to Pull Russell Westbrook from Closing Lineup bleacherreport.com/articles/10053… – 3:32 PM
![Ben Golliver](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1504264152100995072/yCkWWdGQ_normal.jpg)
Column: Until a divorce frees all parties, the only thing standing between Russell Westbrook and his worst impulses is Darvin Ham. It’s time for the rookie coach to hurt some feelings @washingtonpost @PostSports washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/10… – 12:52 PM
![Kevin O'Connor](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1544407392208637953/DXTe32mr_normal.jpg)
Russell Westbrook jumpers have been contested only 41.2% of the time.
@SecondSpectrum says it’s the lowest contest rate in NBA tracking data history (since 2013). Over a full season only Andre Roberson and Joakim Noah were below 50%.
More on the Lakers: theringer.com/nba/2022/10/24… – 11:21 AM
![Kevin O'Connor](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1544407392208637953/DXTe32mr_normal.jpg)
Russell Westbrook jumpers have been contested only 41.2% of the time.
@SecondSpectrum says it’s the lowest contest rate in NBA tracking data history (since 2013). Over a full season only Andre Roberson and Joakiam Noah were below 50%.
More on the Lakers: theringer.com/nba/2022/10/24… – 11:21 AM
![Sam Quinn](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/601654375518470144/CM5e69AY_normal.jpg)
When Russell Westbrook returned to yesterday’s game with 4:42 remaining, the Lakers led by eight. They scored only six more points and lost by two.
I went back and watched their late-game offense. The culprit? Jusuf Nurkic simply wasn’t guarding Russ.
cbssports.com/nba/news/how-r… – 10:45 AM
![Mark Medina](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/776516261022879744/vFNHaRCZ_normal.jpg)
5 takeaways from Lakers-Blazers & Clippers-Suns: Dame Time, Lakers’ 3-point shooting woes, Westbrook’s issues in crunch time, Devin Booker’s strong start & Chris Paul reaching 11,000 career assists https://t.co/vqu5saa12a pic.twitter.com/w6kKRJjCTd – 10:40 AM
![https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ff142sjUcAExkTF.jpg](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ff142sjUcAExkTF.jpg)
![Sam Quinn](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/601654375518470144/CM5e69AY_normal.jpg)
Something I’ve kind of wondered about on the Russell Westbrook trade front: if the Lakers had engaged Indiana early enough, could they have landed Myles Turner and Malcolm Brogdon, instead of Buddy Hield, for those two firsts? I imagine they’d slightly prefer that version. – 10:32 AM
![Brad Turner](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1578964295739535360/yIKML1I2_normal.jpg)
My dude @Dan Woike has this in @latimessports on: Lakers in crisis? LeBron James won’t talk about Russell Westbrook amid 0-3 start latimes.com/sports/lakers/… – 10:31 AM
![Kamenetzky Brothers](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1194771727819034629/ahhBbIpW_normal.jpg)
Monday’s @LockedOnLakers podcast! The Lakers lose to Portland Sunday, fall to 0-3, can’t shoot 3’s to save their lives… and the spotlight on Westbrook is only getting hotter. What to do with Russ? #FirstListen @LockedOnNetwork @LockedOnNBAPods
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lak… – 10:29 AM
![StatMuse](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1584347331289567232/pPaUBwP4_normal.jpg)
Russell Westbrook has taken 11 wide open threes, the most on the Lakers.
He has made 1.
Open for a reason. pic.twitter.com/ZUOmSFsyxZ – 10:23 AM
![https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ff104PCaEAEMbn6.jpg](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ff104PCaEAEMbn6.jpg)
![Mike Prada](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1579967753619898369/0588x8C__normal.jpg)
“Westbrook has gone from being the elephant in the room to being the oxygen in the room.”
@Jovan Buha brought it with this one theathletic.com/3722039/2022/1… – 9:26 AM
![Trey Kerby](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1433830653351632898/s9RqYYsS_normal.jpg)
LeBron and AD in complete disbelief at Westbrook missing a jumper instead of running clock. pic.twitter.com/c1VxJRiLSw – 8:47 AM
![https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ff1e-q8X0AE3xOj.jpg](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ff1e-q8X0AE3xOj.jpg)
![Emiliano Carchia](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1256599629359206400/RF0HsT43_normal.jpg)
Right decision? Russell Westbrook takes mid range shot up by 1 with 30 seconds left sportando.basketball/en/right-decis… – 3:50 AM
![Rob Perez](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1584375940007677952/5ffiMsyD_normal.jpg)
Radio Roulette is LIVE @UnderdogFantasy
– Lakers 0-3
– Russell Westbrook situation Defcon 0
– Jazz Agents of Chaos
– Donovan Mitchell shining at PG
– Investigating correlation of PHI’s struggle
![➡](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/27a1.png)
– #HouseOfTheDragon
A ton to cover, join us!
📺 https://t.co/Nropu5HdXp pic.twitter.com/Lcce6SrECq – 12:22 AM
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![Eric Pincus](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/3611020926/1c288811c3bc4799af324e09268547f9_normal.jpeg)
Latest @BleacherReport It’s Time for LA Lakers to Pull Russell Westbrook from Closing Lineup bleacherreport.com/articles/10053… – 11:48 PM
![Marc J. Spears](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1443719622885216257/fpIXgpqH_normal.jpg)
Russell Westbrook has shot 4-for-26 (15.4%) in his last 2 games.
FROM ELIAS: That is tied for the worst field goal percentage over any 2-game span by a Lakers player in the last 50 years (min. 25 FGA). Westbrook tied himself from earlier this year in January. @ESPNStatsInfo – 7:42 PM
![Justin Kubatko](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1418361185917968387/ZrWh6hdC_normal.jpg)
Russell Westbrook has shot 4-26 (15.4%) from the field over the last two games.
In the 3-point era, the only other Laker to shoot that poorly over a two-game span with at least 25 attempts is…
Westbrook, who shot a combined 4-26 on Jan. 9 & 12, 2022. pic.twitter.com/czzt3Th3En – 7:38 PM
![https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FfyqWQnXkAMQTwo.jpg](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FfyqWQnXkAMQTwo.jpg)
![Sean Highkin](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1536176126589947904/hucLxPe-_normal.jpg)
This is a column about Russell Westbrook that I wrote over the summer for an outlet I used to write for and they never ran it. After the way that game ended, I tweaked it and published it here (free to all): rosegardenreport.com/p/trail-blazer… – 7:11 PM
![Dave McMenamin](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/868933802126704640/hd4QUdZy_normal.jpg)
Darvin Ham when asked if he has concern about how Russell Westbrook will handle being benched late on Sunday: “We don’t have time for people to be in their feelings” – 6:47 PM
![Jovan Buha](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1562909630715478018/GOHfdNa6_normal.jpg)
Darvin Ham says he wished Russell Westbrook “attacked the rim directly” on the missed pull-up jumper with 30 seconds left that Westbrook said he was looking for a 2-for-1 opportunity on. – 6:41 PM
![Jovan Buha](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1562909630715478018/GOHfdNa6_normal.jpg)
I asked Darvin Ham about how the Lakers can counter teams defending Russell Westbrook with their opposing centers. He said the Lakers can do more dribble hand-offs (similar to what the Warriors do with Draymond Green) and/or Russ decisively attacking the centers off the dribble. – 6:39 PM
![Dave McMenamin](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/868933802126704640/hd4QUdZy_normal.jpg)
Russell Westbrook said that he was looking for a 2-for-1 opportunity when he attempted the midrange shot with 27.3 seconds remaining, and about 18 seconds on the shot clock, and missed it. – 6:37 PM
![Ben Golliver](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1504264152100995072/yCkWWdGQ_normal.jpg)
Blazers coach Chauncey Billups on matching up center Jusuf Nurkic with Lakers guard Russell Westbrook late: “Putting him on Russ, we were just going to kind of play off of Russ.” pic.twitter.com/XSPpejrCgz – 6:33 PM
![Jovan Buha](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1562909630715478018/GOHfdNa6_normal.jpg)
Darvin Ham said he brought Russell Westbrook back in the game because he wanted another athletic perimeter defender so the Lakers could switch on the perimeter. – 6:30 PM
![Sam Quinn](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/601654375518470144/CM5e69AY_normal.jpg)
Every Lakers starter had a positive point differential except for Russell Westbrook (-4).
Lakers starters not named Russell Westbrook shot 29-of-55 from the field (52.7%).
Russell Westbrook shot 4-of-15 from the field (26.7%).
It’s time. Bring him off of the bench. – 6:27 PM
![Ben Golliver](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1504264152100995072/yCkWWdGQ_normal.jpg)
Blazers close on an 11-2 run to beat the Lakers, 106-104.
– Chauncey Billups had center Jusuf Nurkic defend &completely lay off Russell Westbrook on multiple late possessions.
– Westbrook: 4-15 shooting & two big misses in last four minutes
– Lakers: 6-33 (18%) on threes – 6:12 PM
![Jovan Buha](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1562909630715478018/GOHfdNa6_normal.jpg)
The Blazers completely botch their defensive coverage and give LeBron a wide-open dunk. Game tied 104-104 with 7.7 seconds left. Timeout Blazers. No Russell Westbrook on that final offensive possession for LA. – 6:05 PM
![Mike Trudell](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/524367536763056130/32h6Ng8Y_normal.jpeg)
LAL trail 104-102 after a Lillard 3 in the final seconds.
Lakers were up 98-90 when they put Westbrook back in for Troy Brown Jr.; offense has struggled to produce good looks since. – 6:05 PM
![Bobby Marks](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1582462840190951433/XzoP8BXO_normal.jpg)
A Russell Westbrook 2 for 1 is probably not what Darvin Ham had in mind. – 6:02 PM
![Casey Holdahl](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/669369346242666496/l_-VB2MP_normal.jpg)
Westbrook misses a midrange jumper, Blazers get the rebound, Nurkic sets a pick near the halfcourt line on Beverly, is called for an offensive foul, and now it’s being reviewed. Lakers up one with 21.8 seconds to play. – 6:00 PM
![Mark Medina](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/776516261022879744/vFNHaRCZ_normal.jpg)
Patrick Beverley with a potential game-saving possession. With the Lakers holding a 102-101 lead over Portland, Russell Westbrook missed an open jumper. Beverley then drew an offensive foul on Nurkic with 21.8 seconds left. Play under review. – 5:59 PM
![Jovan Buha](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1562909630715478018/GOHfdNa6_normal.jpg)
This is the second crunch time in a row that a team has used their center to defend Russell Westbrook and it’s clogged up the Lakers’ already poor spacing. – 5:59 PM
![Casey Holdahl](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/669369346242666496/l_-VB2MP_normal.jpg)
Blazers doing the whole “let him shoot” thing with Westbrook here in the fourth – 5:54 PM
![Chuck Cooperstein](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/889194526170124291/LIbu87re_normal.jpg)
The Lakers need to end the Russell Westbrook experience now. Although if they do keep him and allow him to keep shooting shots other than off drives to the rim, he could help them with their Wenbanyama lottery odds. He’s 2-10 FG today vs POR – 5:06 PM
![Mike Trudell](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/524367536763056130/32h6Ng8Y_normal.jpeg)
After both teams took turns missing shots on six consecutive attempts (3 from Westbrook, 2 from Simons), LAL ripped off a quick 7-0 run to tie the game at 59, as LeBron and AD scored inside, and Beverley hit a 3. – 5:06 PM
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