Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal recently came to the defense of Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook amidst the criticism he has faced this season.
Westbrook has taken a lot of heat this season for his struggles with the Lakers, and Beal believes that the disrespect has gone too far. He pointed to the fact that Westbrook is a sure-fire Hall of Famer as one reason why people need to stop taking shots at the Lakers guard.
"The disrespect, that sh*t gotta stop"@RealDealBeal23 to @Money23Green on Russ slander pic.twitter.com/nqfio85YHD
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) March 25, 2022
“That s— piss me off. I ain’t gone lie, bro,” Beal told Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green. “It really — it really frustrate me, especially being a guy that played with him. The disrespect — that s— gotta stop, bro. It’s gotta stop because we acting like this man is not a Hall of Famer.”
The Lakers have not been able to maximize Westbrook and LeBron James together this season, and it has led to a lot of criticism regarding Westbrook’s performances.
The former MVP is averaging 18.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game this season, but he is shooting just 43.8 percent from the field and 29.4 percent from beyond the arc.
The Lakers have a 31-42 record, and they are currently hold the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference. Despite that, Beal seems to think very highly of Westbrook.
“Russ is going to play winning basketball,” Beal said. “Russ is going to go get rebounds. Russ is going to make assists. Russ is going to take advantage of matchups he feel like he can.
“And he’s going to play 100 miles per hour. He’s going to play hard. If that’s not your cup of tea, don’t watch him.”
Beal and Westbrook played together on the Wizards during the 2020-21 season and were able to get the team into the postseason.
Westbrook may have taken a step back this season, but it seems like many of his peers still hold him in high regard.
It will be interesting to see if Westbrook and the Lakers can turn things around and make a deep playoff run this season.
