Westbrook demanding to bring ball up court, other ways his fit at core of Lakers’ troubles

The idea still contains truth: The Lakers needed a third star and ball handler to take on the load when 37-year-old LeBron James and running mate Anthony Davis were injured or resting.

The Lakers also have long been an organization driven by star power. The Lakers have lived by the adage that talent matters most and star players will figure out how to make it work.

Not this year.

Any postmortem on the Lakers’ 32-49 season — one that doesn’t even have them in the play-in — has to start with the trade for Russell Westbrook last offseason. Westbrook told LeBron and Anthony Davis he would do what it would take to fit in, and in turn LeBron and Davis lobbied hard for Westbrook to be the Lakers’ bold offseason move. Star power wins out for the Lakers and they made the trade, sending out quality role players and picks in the process.

Los Angeles figured out quickly this was not going to work. Dan Woike and Broderick Turner at the Los Angeles Times shared one telling story.

“Russell Westbrook never respected Frank [Vogel] from Day 1,” said one Lakers staff member with knowledge of the situation. “The moment Frank said anybody who gets the rebound can bring it up the court, which is just how the NBA is played these days, Russ was like, ‘Naw, I’m the point guard. Give the ball to me. Everybody run.’

Frank was like, ‘No, we have Talen [Horton-Tucker)] We have Austin [Reaves]. We have Malik [Monk]. We have LeBron. We have AD. They can all bring the ball up.’ He was like, ‘Nope, I’m the point guard. Give me that s***. Everybody get out the way.’ “From that point on, in training camp, it was a wrap, ‘cause now Russ is a fish out of water. He doesn’t know what to do. That’s how that started.”

Beyond the basketball fit where Westbrook