Stephen A.: If Russell Westbrook remains a Laker, he won't ever be as bad as he was last season 

What Russ does or doesn’t do wont matter if AD isn’t healthy and Lakers can’t defend… Sincerely, an Objective Lakers Fan

Westbrook didn't seem too excited. Hope he overcomes all the obstacles and shows he can still ball..

But what have those guys except LBJ done without him... KD went with 3 HOFs..but without that he's done nothing...Harden, Beal, PG, Melo, Oladipo... haven't done jack... let's keep it 💯

Richard Jefferson is awesome.. his points, his takes. are always a pleasure!! Keep bringing it!

I BELIEVE IN BRODIE, HE WILL HAVE A COME BACK YEAR

Strong agree. Russ takes time to adjust to new personnel. Look at the 1st vs 2nd half of the season in Houston and Washington. Between injuries and everything else he never established that rhythm. If he gets traded he may never get a chance to, but he's going to suddenly look like a much better fit with the guys he's been working with.

I think they should be a playoff team. The biggest issue last year wasn’t Russ! It was the team health issue! Especially AD’s healthy! Also bring Melo back!

Russ bout to come out and get his 90 overall back on 2k.

Thank you Stephen A. for bringing up what an exceptional Talent he is! Let's hope upcoming Season will be his official "Comeback" Season!

i think having schroder helps because at least you can have a pg that can at least make a more consistent midrange than Russ. the problem with the lakers has always been AD. because you feel at some point he would go down injured. that's where you feel someone like myles turner would help being a double-double guy that could keep the season going if AD misses some time.

The whole point of trading for Russ was to put him next to AD and run pick and rolls. Everything AD does balances out Russ' negatives, but unfortunately AD was hurt and when he did play you could tell something was wrong with him. I said this on another video but I'll say it again; It's impossible to be the third option when the first and second options aren't even playing. Especially if one of those two options is supposed to balance out your negatives. Credit to RJ being the only one in the media space for bringing up the fact Russ had nobody to play with besides LeBron for a few games.

C’mon SAS. Russ never played with AD 😂😂

Thank you. Richard for reminding everyone that Russ was not the only laker last seasonv and that when two of your top 3 players aren't playing your team will suffer russ did his best with what the Lakers had

This is a perfect summary. Love that Stephen A said it like this

Westbrook is playing to get a contract for another team so I think he definitely will be better

Carmelo didn’t change his game tho. He got paid less

The only thing I'm concerned about with this Laker team is fractures in team chemistry, giving up, and not putting forward their best effort every night to win basketball games. I'd rather see a team full of youngsters losing and making mistakes but playing with heart than a team full of guys who have succumbed to the fact that they're not going to meet expectations.

All those people you named he played with no coach ever gave him the green light to be THE guy.

I think it's just crazy how the league is evolving the big men shoot well and the guards struggle 🤷🏻🤔🤟😎

2:19 SERGE IBAKER

"I bought my Bronco from his dealership!" Lol RJ is a fool

"One of the greatest talent that we have seen". What a build up. There's a difference between talent and athletism.

Please jeff, What Is the different between A top 10 and ONE of the top 10? Please Can anyone enlighten me.

Averaging 18 8 8 is the stats of a bad player nowadays lol

Are we gonna ignore the guy screaming when Lebron was talking?! lol😂

You know you’re a great player when people consider averaging 18 8 and 8 a “bad season” lol

They always talking about the ring all them players they named he played none of them have rings that hasn’t been on a super team

I’ve been saying this since the end of season. I doubt he could play worse and actually goes for the whole team. Whether or not they made changes

Bouncing around on teams these last years has not helped Russ at all. Hoping staying in a place gets him better

I'm looking forward to the nba fights this year for some reason 😆

The raw numbers (Pts, Rebs, and Ast) for Russ were great. He just has to work on efficiency and ball security. You Laker fans gotta get behind him.

First intelligent talks I've heard all day about russ and the Lakers

2:00 Hahahahaha hahahahaha.... Almost killed me... xD

Why name all those players he played with if those players haven’t won a championship either? The only one that won a championship is KD and he had to join the warriors to do so.

They need to put russ at the 2 and force him to adapt and play off ball.

Cannot disagree with Stephen A on this one, on point!

I agree

Always Disabled needs to step his game up this year time to be a warrior AD because RJ is right part of the issue with Russ was AD not being on the court enough

Precisely my point. And he's not that bad. He'll STILL give you 18-10-10 respectively. He just plays out of control and shouldn't run the point. When he shoots he should've passed and vice versa

THANK YOU RJJJJ!!!

I’ll never forget the game he didn’t run back on D 7 times, giving up 11 points, they lost by 5.

Unless he magically discovered self-awareness over the summer, there's no reason to think things will be better this year.

Why are they in a different set?

They need Richard Jefferson on this show more cut Perk and bring RJ on more often

I think the better statement is "The Lakers can't be any worse than last year"! Westbrook unfortunately has impacted the Lakers in such a negative way that I don't believe they can't ever bounce back.....or bounce at all. So much for Lakers and LeBron, it's more like Russ and the Lakers

I'm pulling for him this year.

That's what separates winners from guys who are just phenomenal athletes or even just great players....

Stephen A forgot that Steve Francis, Baron Davis, and Kevin Johnson use to play in the NBA?

need more context on those other players he was with but definitely gotta win

Jeffrey is such a good analyst

Lmaooo SAS you left out Kendrick Perkins

Can't get any worse and he has got Pat Bev and Denis after his spot.

They are right regarding Russ' he won't be as bad as he was last year...BECAUSE THE LAKERS WON'T LET HIM. It's why they have Pat Bev, Schroder, Nunn, Austin Reaves and even Lonnie Walker to take his spot if he starts to STINK UP THE JOINT. Russ' knows that he'll be riding the bench if he doesn't perform early this season.

The team last year was terrible. Over half the player aren't even going to make it on a teams roster this year. Everyone looked lost last year because the coach didn't have them prepared and he didn't know how to use them. AD and Bron were injured. There was no chemistry.... There were a lot of reasons the Lakers were bad last year.

Pg, second time harden, kd, and Beal r the only people u can say which is still a lot but a lot of players don’t have chips.

How tf did Reggie Jackson get a mention? 😂

@ Westbrook, In the words of the great Bruce Lee " Be Water My Friend"

I’m confused about first take. Are they moving to LA or naw???

Regardless of the team, i’ll never understand counting a team out of contention before training camp even starts. Never count out LeBron James.

idk why they would even consider keeping russ after last season, its clear his best days are behind him and he hasn't made any adjustments in his career towards being less ball dominant. His stats don't look bad but no team is gonna do remotely well with him there

That’s why I fw Stephen A 💯

He's not going to be as bad as last season because the Lakers are barely going to play him.

Wow, when Stephen A laid out all those greats he played with. I agree, he’ll be better. The team should be better. But I project a 45 or less win season.

I can't stand to listen to SAS congratulate himself on how smart he is. BARF

As Laker fan I wanna say this and I been saying this all summer but first I wanna say this ima ignore all the guards we have for a second I just wanna focus on this cause I trust a healthy Bron and AD and I’m excited for Ham to coach this team. What I wanna say is first off I agree w SA I believe he’ll have a bounce back season but but as much as people are saying the big 3 won’t work I kinda agree to an extent but basically the point I wanna say is if Westbrook can put that effort into the defensive end like how he does on offense do I think lakers will win no but do I believe they can be in the convo yea. And before people say oh even if does work lakers have to many guards they still not gonna win yea Ik all that but I trust Coach Ham and the system he gonna bring the table I just feel outside of Bron and AD it starts w Westbrook and and if he’s gonna bind into his role I hope what I said makes sense and is not confusing 🙏🏼

SAS: “He’s smart” *cricket noises*

Let's go Westbrook 2022-2023 you got this

russ look like he back in crazy shape

itll be better because no one is going to force russ to stay out on the court, hes gonna get a snug spot on the bench if he reenacts last year

Faxx RJ

So when we criticize Russ for never managing to win a chip, and start mentioning with which teammates he played, why we don't hold James Harden accountable for the same?

I agree Russ had a bad season last year... but what was around him?? Injured AD? Bron also in and out of the lineup. It wasn't just Russell like RJ said

At this point the time for talk is over, the moment of truth, Let Russell play talk for itself, this is he's chance to turn it around.

The reason they haven’t is because if they keep Russ and let him walk next year for FA they will have 35 mil and we all know there’s a lot of potential FA superstars this year 2 Restricted

I agree Lakers playoff bound but idk about championship cause can AD stay healthy for a full season mhmmm right exactly

I love the flowers

People really hate the brodie. Brodie u still on3 of my favorite player

I think if they can stay healthy they will make some noise. Bron and AD with anyone is a problem.

SAS knows it’s scripted for Lakers / Nets that’s y he showing Westbrook n Kyrie all this love after bashing them all year last season 👁

Russ should play shoot guard. Dennis at the point l

FYI: Stephen A Smith mentions that Russ didn't get on the same page as Vogel, a coach who didn't want him on the team, and one Russ was on the team, he urged him to play defense. Russ being a bad player, doesn't care about defense. So great reasoning SAS. Way to defend Russ, someone most Californians believe should no longer be employed in the NBA.

Westbrick shooting 80% from 3 this year

Westbook adjustments........glue on thumbs, eye exam and contacts to see the rim better, play more better defense this season. No problem at all really. Lakers can make the playoffs. Lakers odds to the finals, sky high.

as a laker fan that watched every single prime time game nd some of league pass last szn frank vogel isn’t the reason russ was shooting off the backboard or doing dumb turnovers or airballing , missing dunks and layups , that was on him 🤷🏾‍♂️ blown defense assignments it was crazy !!

I hate how he can't point out the obvious, be straight to the point without caressing these player's egos a little bit first.

We're going to see prime Russel Westbrook this year!!!! 💯

I know they’ll be in the playoffs for sure.

Always lists every teammate from the past 15 years as if they were all on 1 team

What are we talking about

AD is the only issue. Mr Glass can't stay healthy

westbrook: Hold my beer

How easily we forget🤢

Ong bro

The news media is why no good player wants to go to the Lakers. You guys tear people down

It doesn't matter what Russ does if AD isn't healthy and he plays the way he did last season the Lakers are doomed anyway. There's slight optimism in Nunn returning and reacquiring Dennis "Fumble-the-bag" Schroeder. But them sacrificing their depth to get Russ while losing guys like Caruso and KCP who are your best perimeter defenders especially against the pick-and-roll hurt them big time. Plus, them not willing to give Monk a reasonable contract to re-sign him is concerning. Defense is gonna be their krytonite as well as the fact that the Lakers have no identity.

Serge ebacker 🤣🤣🤣

Anthony Davis a good outside shooter?? Tell me one season where he shot above league average (approx. 35-36%) from 3. I’ll wait

I gotta see it to believe it

Not about what you say it's what you do....

Hopefully he has a successful year this year so he can shut the haters up