Lakers Notes: Westbrook, Davis, Ham, LeBron

The Lakers were encouraged by Russell Westbrook‘s performance off the bench Friday night, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. It’s a role that new head coach Darvin Ham talked to Westbrook about during the offseason, and he decided to make the move after the team’s sluggish start.

Westbrook turned in his best game of the season, delivering 18 points, eight rebounds and three assists in 33 minutes. However, his shooting woes continued as he hit just 6-of-17 from the field and 5-of-10 from the foul line and he turned the ball over five times.

“From Day 1, I mentioned I’m the guy that’s willing to do whatever for the team,” said Westbrook, who hadn’t been used as a reserve since his rookie season. “I’ll sacrifice whatever it is that needs to be sacrificed — parts of my game that I’ve done for years to accommodate whatever it is that the coach needs me to do, and I’ll continue to do that.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

  • Anthony Davis sat out his first game of the season Friday due to lower back tightness, McMenamin adds. While it doesn’t sound like a serious injury, there are always concerns with any physical ailment involving Davis, who has played just 40 and 36 games the past two seasons. “He has to do what’s best for his body,” LeBron James said. “He has to do what’s best for his body and his mind. If his mind is gone, then everything else will fall to the wayside. So he has to trust himself. Yes, he wants to play every game. Yes, he wants to be out there for our team. But he’s had a lot of bumps and bruises over the last few years, so he has to trust himself, trust his staff and not put his body in harm’s way.”
  • After L.A. dropped to 0-5, Ham joked with reporters about the team’s lack of offense, per Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. Asked if Lonnie Walker can become the “third scorer” in the starting lineup, Ham responded, “I mean, we welcome any and all scorers, whether they’re third, fourth, fifth, sixth or seventh. If you can score, we’ll work you out tomorrow.”
  • The Lakers ended Friday’s game with James at center, trying to create a mismatch with Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert, Goon notes. James indicated that he doesn’t expect to see much time in the middle, explaining that Ham is experimenting with different combinations. “We’re just trying to find what works right now, to be honest,” he said. “It doesn’t matter who is on the floor. We’re just trying to find what works, who can give us the best chance to win a ballgame.”
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