"I can turn the ball over too" - Russell Westbrook vehemently defends himself in the media against 'turnover machine' tag

Russell Westbrook once again found himself at the center of the media attention on Sunday night. After the LA Lakers managed to edge out the Minnesota Timberwolves 108-103 at Crypto.com Arena, Westbrook was grilled by the media for his poor ball handling in the contest.

Although Westbrook had 20 points and five assists, he also had nine of the Lakers' 15 turnovers in the game. It was Westbrook's third game this season where he has had nine or more turnovers.

When asked by the media about the inefficiencies in his game, Westbrook took a combative stance. The 33-year-old guard said:

“My game is not predicated on shots or if I turn the ball over, like I missed some shots, that's part of the game. I’m allowed to miss shots. I can do that, you know, like any other player. I can turn the ball over too. I can do that. That's all a part of the game.”

The missed shots Westbrook referred to in his statement were possibly a pointer to his 7-of-16 shooting from the field versus Minnesota. Westbrook also missed all five of his attempts from long-range in the contest.

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Westbrook leads NBA in turnovers for fifth time in 14-year career

Russell Westbrook is a nine-time All-Star, three-time assists champ, two-time scoring champ and the 2016-17 league MVP. He is the NBA's all-time leading triple-double getter and has averaged a triple-double for a season four times in his career. He was included in the NBA's 75th anniversary team at the start of the 2021-22 season.

That's the good part about being Russell Westbrook. But for all his accolades, critics also point to his inefficient shooting form and poor ball-handling to bring him down.

Westbrook, after all, has led the league in turnovers in four previous seasons (2008-09, 2010-11, 2017-18 and 2020-21). His 181 turnovers aggregated over 38 games are the most by any NBA player this season. No other player has crossed 150 turnovers for the 2021-22 campaign.

Then there's Westbrook's shooting. He has always struggled from downtown and with his mid-range shooting. This season he is shooting 31.3% from long-range. He has had 12 games where he has attempted at least one triple, but has been unable to make a single shot from behind the arc.

Whatever is the case, the Lakers need Westbrook on the floor. Unlike Anthony Davis and LeBron James, he has been available to the team for all 38 games so far. He is averaging 19.5 ppg, 8.2 rpg and 8.4 apg. The Lakers are surely better with him than without him.