In Los Angeles, Russell Westbrook has been the main target of criticism for what has been an abysmal season for the Purple and Gold. After just 78 games with the franchise, it’s hard to say whether or not he’ll be welcomed back for another run.
But there is some pretty significant evidence that shows Westbrook may not be as bad as the critics claim.
Statistically, the former MVP is leading the Lakers in almost every category this season, including assists (550), rebounds (580), steals (75), free-throws made (266), double-doubles (28), and triple-doubles (10). He’s also second in points, behind LeBron James, with a total of 1,441.
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So, Westbrook provided a lot for the Lakers this season. Despite the injuries, drama, and heat from the media, Russ showed up and produced.
Unfortunately, putting up big numbers has never been Westbrook’s problem. It’s in other ways that the guy becomes a liability to the team.
His efficiency alone is enough to give us a whole different perspective on his performance this season.
He’s 13th on the Lakers in field goal percentage at 44%, 13th in three-point percentage at 29.8%, 15th in free throw percentage at 66.7%, and first in turnovers with a total of 295.
The truth is, there are two sides to Westbrook. While he is capable of stuffing the stat sheet on any given night, playing with efficiency and making the right decisions on the court have always been his greatest struggles.
For the Lakers, they knew within a few weeks just dangerous it was to put the ball in his hands.
The plan coming in was for Westbrook to assume a heavy playmaking role to help alleviate the burden on James, a reasonable position for a player who had been on the ball much of his career. But his decision-making frustrated the coaching staff and teammates almost immediately — Westbrook had 30 turnovers in his first five games.
“I think they lost faith in Russ as a ball handler after the first few weeks,” one team source said. “And he knew it because they took him off the ball and started asking him to stand in the corner or set screens.”
With the season essentially over for the 17x Champs, they face a lot of tough questions about the future. At the center of it all is Westbrook, a guy who lost the trust of almost everybody in the organization.
Needless to say, the team decision-makers have their work cut out for them this summer.
