When Russell Westbrook joined the Lakers, NBA fans across the world were sure that the Lakers could be potential champions. But since then, Westbrook has not lived up to his expectations. In the latest matchup for the Lakers, Russ would score just 5 points, having shot just 10% from the field. Despite this, the Lakers would come out on top after an overtime victory.

In a post-game interview, Lakers’ forward Anthony Davis gave Russ some words of advice in the hopes that it may improve his performance for the team.

AD’s advice for Westbrook

In the post-game interview, when questioned about how he’d improve Russ’ morale following the poor performance and the booing from the crowd, AD gave Westbrook some crucial words of advice.

“It can be frustrating. You know, the fans obviously want to see him play better. But, one thing you can’t do is put too much pressure on yourself. You got to go out there and play freely,” said AD.

Thereafter, AD mentioned that in the game against the Knicks, Russ passed up shots he’d usually take following which LeBron also tried to encourage him to play his natural game despite the misses.

“There are a lot of shots he takes, that are shots he can make. But, he got to stay out of his own head. He just got to continue to play and do the little things,” added AD.

Furthermore, AD supported his claim on the importance of doing the ‘little things’ by citing what he did to back himself during his run of bad games in order to get back into form.

Russell Westbrook this Season

Unlike his MVP season back in the 2016-17 season, Russ’ current performances have been poor in comparison. As the frontman of the OKC Thunder, Westbrook averaged a triple-double with 31.6 points, 10.4 assists, and 10.4 rebounds. This season, he has dropped down in all three categories, with the biggest drop being in his points scoring.

In the game against the Knicks, Westbrook went 1 of 10 from the field while also missing all three of his attempts from beyond the arc. In the game, he’d contribute just 5 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds. Additionally, he shot 3 of 7 from the free-throw line and even committed 4 turnovers. These poor performances caused Lakers fans to boo their star guard during the game. Moreover, Russ would even be benched during the OT period.

Clearly, it seems like Russ’ morale has taken a big hit after the game. With several trade rumors surrounding the guard’s future in LA, the best thing Russ can do is listen to AD and do ‘the little things.’

READ MORE: “Trade Him I’m Done”: Angry Lakers Fans Turn on Russell Westbrook As He Struggles to Make Open Shots