Patrick Beverley: 'We All Know' Russell Westbrook Won't Come off Bench for Lakers

Russell Westbrook's struggle to adjust to a new role on the Los Angeles Lakers was one of the reasons the iconic franchise disappointed last season, and it certainly caught the attention of some when new head coach Darvin Ham brought him in off the bench in the preseason finale against the Sacramento Kings.

But teammate Patrick Beverley doesn't envision Westbrook consistently coming off the bench during the regular season.

"He's not going to come off the bench, we all know that," Beverley said on the Pat Bev Pod. "That was just to see how it works with the second unit. To be the catalyst, I need him in the first unit with me. Downhill point guard with big size who can pass the rock. But the coaches are just trying to find ways to use Russ the best way. Second unit or however it goes."

"But we all know he's a Hall of Famer. He's a starter. He's going to be our starting point guard."

Westbrook played just five minutes in that 133-86 loss to the Kings, so it was a short-lived experiment for the nine-time All-Star and two-time scoring champion.

But something will have to give this season considering he shot just 29.8 percent from three-point range in 2021-22 and was less than an ideal fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Westbrook is someone who has been a ball-dominant playmaker throughout his Hall of Fame career, but there is less room to operate like that on a team with other superstars who draw so much attention.

He may not come off the bench in 2022-23, but the Lakers will need better play from him if they are going to improve on last season's 33-49 mark that wasn't even good enough for the Western Conference play-in tournament.