Russell Westbrook is averaging 10.3 points per game this season.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook will begin to come off the bench for the “forseeable future,” reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
The Lakers will start LeBron James, Patrick Beverley, Troy Brown Jr. and Damian Jones against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night, ending Westbrook’s streak of 1,007 consecutive appearances as a starter.
The Lakers plan remains to transition Westbrook to a role as the lead playmaker with the second unit, but Darvin Ham has a decision to make whether that role will begin tonight.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 28, 2022
Westbrook last served in a reserve role in an NBA game on Nov. 28, 2008, when he was a rookie on the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Westbrook did not play in the Lakers’ last game, a 110-99 loss to the Denver Nuggets, because of a sore left hamstring.
The 33-year-old former Kia MVP is averaging 10.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists this season. He has one double-double. He is mired in a slump, shooting just 28.9% from the floor and 1-for-12 from 3-point range.
Anthony Davis will sit out Friday night due to low back tightness. Los Angeles coach Darvin Ham said Davis felt the tightness when he woke up Friday morning and that the team decided to take the cautious approach with the oft-injured big man.
“You’re on the road, obviously it’s not your bed,” Ham said. “Just getting out in front of it and not wanting to put him in a make-or-break situation too early in the season. … Why risk it was our thought process.”
It will be the first missed game of the season for Davis, who is averaging 24 points and 9.5 rebounds this season. Davis played in just 40 games last season for Los Angeles, which is off to an 0-4 start.
“The back is a tricky thing,” Ham said.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
