Russell Westbrook may have had a rough year with the Los Angeles Lakers, but he’s still a solid basketball player. Russell Westbrook is good when driving to the rim, and creating open opportunities for others. He is also a fantastic rebounder for a guard.
There are often times when fans complain about certain players not receiving a fair whistle. It seems as though in Russell Westbrook’s case, that may actually be warranted.
Ken Mauer has recently revealed that Russell Westbrook gets an unfair whistle from the referees in the league. Mauer revealed that referees would “miss” calls on Russell Westbrook due to his strength and ability to finish through contact.
Ken Mauer admits Russell Westbrook receives an unfair whistle
“We miss on him and we miss on him because he was so strong, he’d finish. He’d get fouled, and we’d missed plays on him. And I’d go back and look at plays and I’d come to him after the game,” pic.twitter.com/Xz4w95J2qS
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 25, 2022
“We miss on him and we miss on him because he was so strong, he’d finish. He’d get fouled, and we’d missed plays on him. And I’d go back and look at plays and I’d come to him after the game,”
A lot of Russell Westbrook’s scoring comes from him attacking the rim, and he is clearly an adept finisher on the interior. It makes sense that sometimes there would be calls missed on him, as the referees don’t necessarily call fouls every time there’s contact.
Hopefully, this season with the Los Angeles Lakers doesn’t affect how people perceive Russell Westbrook in his prime. His 2016-17 MVP season was amazing to watch for fans, and he was carrying an immense load for that Oklahoma City Thunder team. His athletic feats were very much jaw-dropping, and there’s no question that Russell Westbrook is an all-time great. There are also many players who have lauded him for being a good teammate.
As of now, Russell Westbrook is likely trying to help the Los Angeles Lakers turn their season around. There’s no question that they have struggled this year, and hopefully, they will be able to put together some sort of winning run in the next few weeks. They are a play-in tier team currently, but things could change if they figure things out.
