Lakers’ Russell Westbrook EXITS game in first quarter with hamstring injury

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook exited Friday night’s preseason game against the Sacramento Kings with a hamstring injury in the Lakers 133-86 loss to the Sacramento Kings.

Westbrook limped off the court and into the locker room at the end of the first quarter and was eventually ruled out for the remainder of the game.

He had checked into the game with around 7:27 left in the frame. 

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook exited Friday night’s preseason game 

Westbrook (0) drives past Sacramento Kings guard Davion Mitchell during the first quarter of a preseason NBA basketball but limped off court with hamstring injury

Earlier on Friday it was announced that Westbrook would be coming off the bench, something that Westbrook hasn’t done since his rookie year.

Lakers’ head coach Darvin Ham choose to refer to the move as ‘a realignment’ rather than a benching. He also made sure to express that Westbrook was very accepting of the move.

‘He totally understood,’ coach Darvin Ham told reporters when asked about Westbrook before Friday night’s game against the Kings.

Head coach Darvin Ham (L) chose to bring Westbrook off bench for first time since rookie year

Ham and the Lakers wanted to see if moving Westbrook to the second unit would give him the chance to play both freer and faster, similar to the way it did for Rajon Rondo during the 2018-2019 season.

‘So for him to trust us and trust what we’re trying to do and what we’re trying to take some notes on — to see if him being in that part of the rotation has any benefit to us as a whole — again, my hat’s off to him. I salute him, because a lot of guys would have had a lot of pushback, even if it’s a preseason game. He totally was selfless in that moment,’ he said.

The lineup the Lakers brought onto the court tonight was the sixth different lineup they used this preseason, which was done by design according to Ham.

‘It’s different combinations of seeing different guys play together,’ Ham said. ‘You have to prepare yourself. You got to get out in front of the fact that there’s going to be injuries. We don’t want them to happen.’

‘We don’t want them to happen to any of our guys, let alone our main guys. You just have to prepare yourself and be at the forefront of that by plugging in different lineups, different players and different positions so that when that day comes, you feel a little bit more prepared.’

Regardless of whether he starts or comes off the bench following the hamstring injury it will not change the trade rumors that have swirled around Westbrook’s name since the start of the offseason. 

Westbrook drives through the Sacramento Kings defense on his way to the basket before leaving the game hurt

The nine-time all-star who is making $47million on an expiring contract and has had his name thrown into the conversation for several different possible trades that did not end up happening.

His name is expected to remain atop the rumor mill throughout the start of the regular season and up until the trade deadline.

Westbrook’s injury may create a depth problem at point guard for the Lakers following an injury to fellow point guard Dennis Schroder. 

Schroder injured his right thumb and is expected to miss an extended period of time to begin the year. 

Fellow Lakers guard Dennis Schoder is already expected to miss time with an injury, potentially leaving the Lakers short on players at the position if Westbrook misses extensive period of time