SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 12: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on against the Sacramento Kings during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center on January 12, 2022 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Russell Westbrook may have his flaws, but he’s an incredibly dynamic athlete and Rudy Gobert found that out the hard way.
The Los Angeles Lakers haven’t always been great this year and there’s been a fair bit of criticism lobbed in Russell Westbrook’s direction. Most of it’s been fair. The Lakers traded for Westbrook and they’ve expected him to play up to the MVP level that he was at in 2017. That hasn’t happened for much of this season.
But for one brilliant moment, Westbrook showed his potential as he punished Rudy Gobert with a terrifying dunk.
It could very well be the best dunk we see this season.
Los Angeles Lakers: Russell Westbrook puts Rudy Gobert on a poster with incredible dunk
Westbrook is far from being a perfect player. There are a number of flaws that he’s able to typically work past. He’s not always incredibly efficient and there are times where hits really rough shooting slumps that cause a significant impact on the rest of his team.
But when he’s playing like this? When he’s using his nearly unparalleled athleticism to embarrass his opponents and punish backboards?
Well, when he does that, Westbrook is hard to stop and his teams tend to perform a bit better than when he’s not doing that. Sure, there’s a physical toll that comes with that style of play and Westbrook, at some point, won’t quite be fast or explosive enough to consistently exploit and expose opposing defenses.
So for now, while he’s still incredibly difficult to stop as he dashes for a frighteningly powerful dunk, enjoy these moments. Stuff like this is worth enjoying. Unless you’re Gobert or a Jazz fan. Then you’re probably not enjoying it so much.