Anthony Davis Gives Confidence to Russell Westbrook After His 1/10 Shooting vs. Knicks

For the extra session of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 122-115 home win against the New York Knicks on Saturday, head coach Frank Vogel benched point player Russell Westbrook. Vogel was questioned about the reaction he hoped the benching would elicit after the game.

Anthony Davis’ word of confidence to Russell Westbrook

“You have to go out there and play freely. There were some shots tonight that he usually takes in rhythm that he kind of passed up or hesitated. Me and LB were telling him, ‘We don’t care if you miss everyone. Just play. Shoot your rhythm shots. Don’t hesitate.’ And obviously, it’s easier said than done because when you’re in it, you don’t want to be missing shots. I mean, he doesn’t try to miss. A lot of the shots he takes are shots that he can make. But he’s got to stay out of his own head,” Davis said.

https://twitter.com/hmfaigen/status/1490185377470164993?s=20&t=1A2pQK7ocL3R-uvzOFRNKA

With Russell Westbrook on the bench, the Lakers are playing much better basketball, so Anthony Davis and Frank Vogel anticipate Brodie to bounce back stronger. With the Playoffs so close, Westbrook not improving even marginally is a concerning situation for the Lakers, but it also makes him as untradable as ever.
Anthony Davis

Westbrook’s performance vs Knicks

In 29 minutes, Westbrook scored five points on 1-of-10 shooting, had six assists, four rebounds, and four turnovers. He ended with a minus-15, which was the poorest on the squad. With the exception of a missed three-pointer and a pair of missed free throws in the final five-and-a-half minutes of regulation, Westbrook did not record any statistics.

When Brodie was on the court, the Lakers were outscored by 15 points. As a result, the head coach decided to sit the former Oklahoma City guard at the conclusion of the regular. The Lakers’ second-half comeback was their strongest of the season and their biggest since 2015. Davis‘ performance, which included 28 points, 17 rebounds, four blocks, and three steals, allowed the Warriors to outscore the Knicks in the second half and complete the comeback.


Westbrook has shown hints of his earlier troubles, but they have been many. On Jan. 20, he was benched late in the Lakers’ 111-104 defeat against the Indiana Pacers. The Lakers will host the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, so we’ll see if Westbrook can bounce back quickly.