AD: Westbrook blamed too much for Lakers' struggles

With the Los Angeles Lakers' disastrous 2021-22 campaign now finished, a reflective Anthony Davis says too much blame was directed at Russell Westbrook for the team's subpar results.

"Russ isn't a one-man show. He can't beat teams by himself," Davis said, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "It's all of us. It's my play, me not being on the floor. Bron's play, him not being on the floor. ... Everybody's a part of the blame. ... Russ, it wasn't his fault."

However, Davis did acknowledge that the guard had challenges adjusting his role to fit alongside both him and LeBron James.

"When I got here, I didn't play the same way I played with Bron. Bron had to change; everybody had to change," Davis said. "Everybody had to make sacrifices. It was tough for (Westbrook) to adjust to that."

The Lakers wrapped up their season with a 146-141 overtime victory over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday, improving their final record to 33-49. The high-profile trio of James, Davis, and Westbrook only played in 21 of a possible 82 regular-season games together, which Davis also points to as a reason for the team's struggles.

"To not log enough minutes together is what hurt us," the big man added. "I still think us being on the floor together where (at least) two out of three can win basketball games; it just didn't happen."

Despite winning a championship in 2020, the Lakers have now missed the playoffs in seven of the last nine seasons.