Report: Vogel resisting push from organization to bring Westbrook off bench
Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel is dismissing the prospect of bringing Russell Westbrook in off the bench as some within the organization are calling for his demotion from the starting lineup, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Despite Vogel opting to start Westbrook, there reportedly have been multiple tense moments between the two recently, including one during a film session Friday.
Following the Lakers' last matchup - a 132-111 rout at the hands of the rival Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday - Westbrook acknowledged his ongoing struggles as the team tries to maintain its play-in seeding.
"My role and what I'm doing has changed every single night. So I'm just trying to figure that out as I'm playing and to be able to benefit and help my team," he said. "But my expectations are still the same. I'm not a quitter. It's not in my genes. I don't quit, regardless of what the hell is going on.
"I'm going to fight to the end, and if it don't work, that's cool, too. I can live with the results. But I'm never going to give up or give in because of a little struggle that's happening this time of the year."
Westbrook hasn't come off the bench since Nov. 28, 2008 - the 17th game of his rookie season with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Since then, the nine-time All-Star and former MVP has started 988 consecutive contests with four different franchises, including the Lakers' Saturday encounter against the Golden State Warriors.
Entering Saturday, the team has dropped four straight decisions and is just two games clear of missing out on a play-in appearance altogether.