Russell Westbrook’s career will be defined by the 2021-22 season

How much is riding on the 2021-22 season for Russell Westbrook? 

In a vacuum, there aren’t many other point guards that have put together a better career than Russell Westbrook – and he’s still not done. Yet, while his individual accomplishments have been vast, he’s seen little-to-no true team accomplishment since he helped take a young Oklahoma City Thunder team to the NBA Finals.

Since then, his teams have struggled to make the playoffs and even if they make the postseason they aren’t much of a threat to make a deep run. However, heading into the 2021-22 NBA season, you can make an argument that he’s on his best team yet.

Westbrook has never played next to two great players such as LeBron James and Anthony Davis. When he was playing with Kevin Durant, he wasn’t the best player in the world yet and James Harden was nothing more than a Sixth Man of the Year candidate.

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He was reunited with MVP-version HArden in Houston, but it was literally Harden and Westbrook vs. the World. This season, there are no excuses. Even though LeBron is in the latter stage of his career, he’s still one of the top 5 players in the league and Davis is arguably a top 3 player in the league.

Westbrook finally has a supporting cast that could help him get back to the NBA Finals and, fair or not, there’s a chance that his career narrative could be decided by how successful the Los Angeles Lakers are this season.

Russell Westbrook can change his career narrative with one ring

Up until now, the narrative around Westbrook has been a player that collects empty stats on good, but not great teams. He’s averaged a triple-double in four out of his last five seasons in the league but will be remembered as nothing more than a stat-sheet stuffer if he can’t find tangible success in the playoffs over the course of the last few years in his career.

After Durant left OKC, Westbrook lost three times in the first round of the playoffs as the Thunder’s lead man. In Houston with Harden, they won one playoff series before being thumped by the Lakers in the second round. And with Washington last year, Westbrook missed the playoffs for the first time in six seasons.

There has to be some urgency with Westbrook to make it work with the Lakers this season. And with the way that the narrative around his career has continued on a downward spiral, his legacy needs it severely.

At this point, there’s this notion that Westbrook isn’t exactly a plus-player anymore. That explains some of the initial reaction that came in as soon as it was announced that Westbrook had been traded to the Lakers.

Instead of celebrating the move on behalf of the Lakers, many were quick to question the fit and if Westbrook playing next to LeBron would actually work. Instead of seeing Westbrook’s talent and possibilities next to two All-NBA players, most looked to his weaknesses and the possible downfall that it could have on this championship-caliber roster.

After having bounced around in recent years, there’s a lot riding for Westbrook as he enters this season with the Lakers. It can’t be a disaster in any sense of the imagination. In fact, especially when it comes down to his legacy, Westbrook needs it to be an overwhelming success.