Los Angeles Lakers: 3 Ways Russell Westbrook can improve

Russell Westbrook must cut back on turnovers

Compared to the previous slide, this might be a more difficult obstacle to overcome.

Asking Russell Westbrook to cut down on turnovers is like asking an airplane engine not to be loud.

Asking Westbrook to be more careful with the ball has the potential to force him to subdue his game. For better or for worse, the Los Angeles Lakers do not want that to happen.

Robbing Russ of who he is on the court and the joy and intensity with which he plays would be a crime.

Westbrook will make some borderline insane decisions during the course of the NBA game. When he pulls them off, he is a genius, a savant, and a joy to behold. When it doesn’t come together, Shaqtin a Fool gets some fresh content for the masses to laugh and belittle.

You have to admire Westbrook’s ability to not care about what people think of him and just do what he feels is right on the court. It takes a strong mind to block out the hate and just do what he feels is right.

So how can Russ cut back on his turnovers?

The simple answer is he can’t, but he can minimize the turnovers slightly if he runs particular sets during the course of the game.

For example, if he plays a short pick and roll game and puts the pass in the right spots for his big men, he can minimize his turnovers.

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If Anthony Davis has his back to the basket, Westbrook has the pass accuracy to hit AD at a spot that only he can reach.

Cut out cross-court passes that teams are expecting, use your nearest teammate as a buffer, get the ball back closer to the open teammate and make a timely pass.

Stop trying to pass out of traffic when the paint is clogged. When it works it is wonderful but with so many bodies in the paint, the likelihood it doesn’t work is significantly higher than it actually working.

And finally, use the same focus and intensity on being more careful with the ball.

By no means should Russ quit being Russ, but if he stops trying to be so elaborate at all times and plays with a more direct game, his turnover numbers should reduce.