Lakers Russell Westbrook on His Confidence in L.A. Despite Roller Coaster of a Week

Russell Westbrook has always had confidence in his team throughout the highs and the lows.

The Lakers started off strong on their six-game long road trip after winning 116-105 against the Orlando Magic on Friday night. However, many are cautious about celebrating the win just yet. Some do not have a lot of confidence in the Lakers, especially after how poorly they have played out on the court within the past week. Not only have the Lakers lost some crucial games recently but when they do win, it is usually neck and neck throughout most of the matchup. 

After the Friday night game, Russell Westbrook showed up and spoke with the media about his confidence in this team regardless of how this season has gone so far. 

"I never once didn't have confidence in our group," said Westbrook.

“I've been preaching the same thing since day one. And I'll continue to preach it: it's a process. It's a process. I know every week, we may win a game, we may lose a game, that happens. We're still trying to figure it out. We're still trying to find the best way to play with our group. Getting guys healthy...hopefully we get AD back soon and find a way to implement [him], making sure we can find our rhythm as a group."

Russell Westbrook showed improvement and determination as he scored 18 points, had 11 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals against the Magic. A very productive night for the once MVP. 

With that said, it was clear at the beginning of the season that it would take time for this Lakers team to find their rhythm, but eventually, there needs to be more progress. This team is relatively healthy, even though being without Anthony Davis has proved to cause some weaknesses to show both offensively and defensively. However, there is still a lot of talent out on the floor for L.A. If the Lakers can go on the road and get a substantial amount of wins, that would be a big improvement. 

As for the Friday night matchup, the Lakers worked together and got the job done. Throughout most of the second half, L.A. stopped the Magic and made sure they did not let them make a comeback. That is a huge positive to look at, especially considering how many points this team has allowed in past games. 

The Laker's next matchup will be against the Miami Heat on Sunday night.