Coach Darvin Ham prefers to bring Russell Westbrook off the bench, a role in which he has been more effective, averaging averaging 18.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists.
LOS ANGELES — On Sunday morning, the Lakers revealed they were down a starter: Pat Beverley missed the matinee game against the Cavaliers with a stomach bug that has been going through the team.Coach Darvin Ham turned to Kendrick Nunn, who had played less than five minutes in the Lakers’ previous three games combined, to replace Beverley in the backcourt.
Ham said he didn’t want to disrupt the balance he has created in the rotation by bringing Westbrook — who entered Sunday averaging 18.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists and shooting 51% as a reserve — off the bench. The change has allowed Westbrook to be ball dominant: His usage rate has risen from 36.6% as a starter to 61.1% as a reserve.
“The biggest thing with Russ is him being able to lead the charge, know that he’s orchestrating and doing what he’s done his whole entire career,” Ham said. “So I like the balance that it’s provided, and him leading the charge, leading a whole new wave once we start going to substitutions.” Beverley hasn’t quite delivered offensively himself. He’s the lowest scorer of any of the Lakers’ regular starters, and his 22.7% shooting from deep so far is emblematic of the team’s overall shooting struggles this season. But the 34-year-old also was a role player in closing out an overtime win against New Orleans, and many within the organization have cited his leadership as a centering force in the locker room.
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