In 2021, the Los Angeles Lakers decided to break their championship-winning core. They looked at Russell Westbrook and imagined a fire-trio alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. But after he arrived, what followed was complete chaos. Where did it all go wrong for them?

Former Lakers star Trevor Ariza, who closely witnessed LA’s fall precisely in the 2021-22 season, shared his thoughts.

“I mean, everything went wrong. Everybody’s old as s*** on the team. It was just putting together a bunch of players that were really, really good at a point in time,” he said on The Bootleg Kev Podcast. “Everybody play inside the paint.”

Ariza added, “So when there’s no space inside the paint, you can’t really tell Russ, who is the point guard, to go stand in the corner and expect them to shoot 40%. He don’t got no rhythm to the game.”

In the 2021-22 season, the Los Angeles Lakers made several offseason acquisitions, including Russell Westbrook. However, those signings led to the team turning into the oldest squad with an average age of 30 that season.

Back then, Carmelo Anthony (37 years old), Trevor Ariza (36), Dwight Howard (35), Rajon Rondo (35), and LeBron, the soon-to-be 37-year-old, played on the team. For most of them, they had left behind their best years, creating a poor roster fit.

Moreover, several players thrived best in the paint and therefore, as Ariza mentioned, spacing turned into the Lakers’ greatest concern. This situation limited Russell Westbrook, a ball-dominant point guard. That is because asking him to stand in the corner as a spot-up shooter took away his rhythm and strengths. Thus, making the offense ineffective and predictable.

So while many critics often complain about Mr. Triple Double’s mismatch with the Lakers, many often miss out on seeing the other side of the business. Simply put, the on-court issues. For the next two years, Westbrook became one of the most criticized hoopers.

One of the highlights was his 4-for-20 shooting performance in a 115-122 loss against the Brooklyn Nets on Christmas Day. At the midway mark, the Lakers sat at 21–20, and Russell Westbrook found himself at the center of the criticism as comparisons to the 2020 title team grew louder.

Meanwhile, he shot 30% from deep and averaged 4.6 turnovers through early January. A rough outing against the Minnesota Timberwolves, featuring nine turnovers, fueled the conversation further. Even so, Westbrook argued critics focused too much on the numbers instead of his overall impact on the floor.

He soon became the Sixth Man, coming off the bench for the first time since his rookie season. And as it turned out, things fell apart between LA and Westbrook. LeBron James and Anthony Davis had played a major role in acquiring the veteran guard.

But the partnership failed; Westbrook struggled with his fit alongside James and Davis. The star guard saw the exit door, and the impact, or rather the failed experiment, left tension between LeBron and the Lakers’ front office. They never truly recovered.