The Los Angeles Lakers seem to be turning their season around, winning five straight games to improve to 19-21 and get back in the postseason mix.
Anthony Davis has been out with a foot injury during that span which has forced other players to step up, and they have done exactly that.
In addition to LeBron James’ expected greatness, the Lakers have also gotten major contributions from guys like Russell Westbrook, Thomas Bryant and Dennis Schroder.
Bryant and Schroder, in particular, have seen their roles increase in Davis’ absence and have been playing extremely well. Westbrook has been teammates with both in the past — Schroder in Oklahoma City and Bryant in Washington — so he knows what they are capable of. The point guard is just happy to see his teammates thriving though with the opportunities they are getting, via NBA.com:
“A lot, man. They are both talented players and they’ve proven themselves in this league. Had some ups and downs in their careers but I think it’s great to see Dennis and Thomas and those guys do so well. It really just brings me a lot of joy to see them doing well consistently. It’s just great for our team.”
Westbrook added that it’s his job to get those guys the ball and put them in a position to succeed:
“Amazing. I know what both of them are capable of doing just because I’ve been able to play with them on the same team. And this is my job to continue making the game easier for them too as well as everybody else. But their ability to be able to make shots, to make plays, defend and rebound and do the things that contribute to winning is big for our group and something that we can all get energy from throughout the game.”
While Westbrook is happy to see Bryant and Schroder succeeding, the same can probably be said for the opposite as Westbrook has been playing his best ball in a Lakers uniform. While the Lakers still have a long way to go to be championship contenders, they have definitely been taking steps in the right direction so hopefully that continues moving forward.
Davis beginning ramp up process for return
With how well Westbrook, Bryant and Schroder have been playing in Davis’ absence, there is excitement surrounding the Lakers for when the star big man returns. And it appears that may not be far off as Davis will reportedly begin his ramp up process and could return in a couple of weeks.
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