Russell Westbrook has always been a player that has divided opinions among NBA fans and media personalities. He is clearly a fantastic talent and was once the starting point guard on a Finals team for the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, a lot of people have criticized him for his time on the Lakers, claiming that he doesn’t play defense and commits unnecessary turnovers.
There is no doubt that Russell Westbrook is a polarizing player, but there are definitely some people who are backing/helping him. For example, Charles Barkley has defended him against being scapegoated for the Lakers’ issues.
More recently, Shaquille O’Neal notably gave Russell Westbrook some game advice while sitting courtside at the recent Lakers-Magic game. He told Westbrook that he is “playing way too f*cking fast”, and the two were in conversation for a brief moment, though the rest of the conversation is difficult to make out.
Shaq and Westbrook having a mid-game convo 👀#LakeShow pic.twitter.com/yDBTYZI3FV
— YouWager Sports (@youwagersport) January 22, 2022
There’s no question that Russell Westbrook thrives when playing fast. He is amazing at pushing the pace for easy baskets or getting his teammates shots in transition. However, sometimes a point guard has to slow the pace down, and this seems to be what Shaquille O’Neal has suggested Russell Westbrook should do. The faster one goes, the more out of control one gets, and Russell Westbrook has notably been criticized for playing out of control and getting unforced turnovers.
The Los Angeles Lakers did end up winning that game, and Russell Westbrook actually had a good night, putting up 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists, while shooting 8-17 from the field. There’s no question that Russell Westbrook is still a good player, and that he can still impact winning. Hopefully, the Los Angeles Lakers figure out an optimal way to use him, and if they manage to figure things out they’ll be a dangerous team come playoff time.
