Russell Westbrook got his first chance to play as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers this week as the Lakers played their first preseason games against the Nets, Suns, and Warriors. Westbrook had an okay showing, but a huge talking point was the number of turnovers Westbrook had.
Westbrook had 7 turnovers in his first game against the Golden State Warriors, which was a big part of why they lost the game. Preseason games aren’t of any major significance, so the Lakers won’t be too bothered with the result.
But Westbrook’s handling of the ball might point to a problem they may have during the course of the season. Russ has led the league in turnovers on multiple occasions and has been in the top 5 in turnovers too. So his handling of the ball, despite him being a point guard may be a cause for concern.
But Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel doesn’t seem to be too worried about Westbrook’s turnovers. After the game against the Warriors, Frank Vogel noted that Westbrook’s high turnover numbers might be because of how unselfish he is trying to be and help set his teammates up going forward.
“I thought Russ was even maybe trying to create and play unselfishly too much on a couple of possessions that led to some turnovers.”
Russ acknowledges the responsibility he has to the Lakers, noting that it is up to him to adapt to Anthony Davis and LeBron James and that he doesn’t need or want them to adjust their games for him.
Westbrook isn’t a pass-first point guard by any means. But he has led the league in assists on multiple occasions and has averaged double-digit assists on multiple occasions for an entire season. And as time goes on and he gets more integrated into the system, his passing will improve.
Perhaps a reason why Westbrook is struggling to set up his teammates is that he isn’t getting open looks. Once he takes the ball to the basket more, opponents will try to double him, meaning his teammates will be ready and free to receive a pass from him.
