On April 9, Beijing time, the Lakers have missed this season's playoffs, and now the moment of "settling accounts after the fall" has also begun. Who should be behind the loss this season? ESPN celebrity Ramona Shelburne published an article about some of the Lakers' insider tips this season. In addition, the Lakers and team reporter Turner also reported that the contradiction between Westbrook and Vogel had already appeared in the pre-season training camp. The Lakers' black cauldron seems to have been locked on Wei Shao's body.
According to reports, Vogel said in the training camp that whoever grabs the rebound can advance with the ball. Wei Shao objected on the spot, saying that he was a point guard and should give the ball to himself. The two then had a dispute, and according to ESPN's report, some people in the Lakers were also dissatisfied with Wei Shao, believing that Wei Shao's presence affected his own play.
To be sure, Westbrook's performance this season is unsatisfactory. For a Hall of Famer, the level of attack and defense that Westbrook has shown this season has been extremely disappointing. In particular, his shooting rate is less than 45%, and his three-point shooting rate is less than 30%. In addition, Westbrook's average of 3.8 turnovers per game is also hurting the team.
But more importantly, these shortcomings of Wei Shao should have been foreseeable before the Lakers introduced him. Westbrook's shooting is not good, and he has a lot of mistakes, which have accompanied him throughout his career. But even so, he can still become a superstar. Why? Because he has enough freedom in other teams, and he doesn't have it in the Lakers. By the second half of the season, Wei Shao had completely become a role player, and while the number of mistakes decreased, the fans' familiar Wei Shao also went with the wind.
Therefore, putting the black cauldron of the Lakers' failure this season on Wei Shao's head is not a convincing answer. The initiator is the one who should be condemned, and that's the Lakers management. However, all sources show that the Lakers management will not change this summer. And Vogel and Wei Shao, no doubt, will leave.