Russell Westbrook’s arrival to Los Angeles was met with a lot of excitement by Lakers fans, who dreamt of a world where Russ, LeBron, and Anthony Davis could dominate the NBA together.
Quickly, that excitement turned to doubt as fans got to see for themselves some of Westbrook’s more undesirable traits. Right away, Russ was put on blast for his inefficient shooting and high turnover rate, two of the more infamous parts of his game.
Even after a win on Sunday night, Westbrook fell victim to criticism on social media for committing 9 turnovers throughout the game.
But if you know the Lakers star, you’ll know he doesn’t keep quiet when folks are coming at him. And, facing the media after the game, he once again addressed the critics and haters.
“My game is not predicated on shots or if I turn the ball over. I missed some shots, that’s a part of the game, I’m allowed to miss shots. I can do that. Like any other player, I can do that. I’m allowed to turn the ball over too. I can do that, that’s all a part of the game.”
https://twitter.com/RTNBA/status/1477883646992343041
On one hand, Westbrook is right. Turnovers and missed shots are inevitable and a natural part of the game for every player.
On the other hand, Russ seems to miss and turn the ball over at an exceptionally high rate and it has been hurting his team. If he’s too stubborn to admit it’s a problem, he can’t be surprised when people call him out on it.
Of course, this isn’t the first time he’s had to defend himself.
For years, the guy has been fighting the narrative that he’s an overrated, inefficient turnover machine. Without a proven track record of success in the playoffs, it’s hard to argue against all that right now.
Hopefully, Russ is able to see the light and focus on cutting down his mistakes. If not, it could really hold his team back going forward.
