Russell Westbrook: Lakers point guard
This one isn’t surprising. Los Angeles native Russell Westbrook has finally made his way back home. He’s part of an interesting lineup that could lead him straight to his first NBA title. He’s been working through some wrinkles during his first few outings in purple and gold, but the issues he’s been facing could very well continue deep into the 82-game season.
In Sunday’s game against the Suns, Russell scored eight points and turned the ball over nine times. On Tuesday versus the Warriors, Westbrook posted five turnovers, his lowest amount so far throughout the preseason. He does lead the team with 15 assists, but his turnover rate is going to have to go down.
Russell’s intensity on the court doesn’t need to be explained. To put it simply, he’s tough. If Los Angeles’ lineup works, it’ll be because of Westbrook. The former MVP has inserted himself onto the same court as two of the top scorers in the league. Russell averaged 22.2 points per game last season, LeBron averaged 25 and Anthony averaged 21.8.
Westbrook was a Wizard last year, but he’s going to have be one again this year with the Lakers. He’s the leader of the offense. He can’t turn the ball over at a high-rate and will need to adhere to head coach Frank Vogel’s defensive scheme. There’s a lot of skepticism surrounding if this “experiment” in Los Angeles is going to work. Russell clearly isn’t worried about what other people think or say, but he still needs to have a solid outing on Thursday.