Russell Westbrook, the point guard for the Los Angeles Clippers was on the other LA team not so long ago. Westbrook’s short career with the Lakers, which lasted for a little over one and a half seasons, was one of his worst times on the NBA court. While several analysts and knowledgeable individuals of the game thought he was never the best fit for the Lakers, no one could have expected just how bad the situation would get.
There are a couple of things which really stood out during Russ’ time with the Lakers. First of all, his numbers in all the major categories on the offensive side of the ball plummeted in those one and a half seasons with the purple and gold. For instance, for a player who was averaging well over 20 points per game for most of his career barring his first two seasons in the league, suddenly saw his ppg go well below 20.
Moreover, his rebounds and assists per game also went down considerably during the same time. He averaged single digits in both categories when he was almost always in double digits for both in previous seasons. To add to his offensive woes were his increased number of turnovers, which really put the team on the backfoot.
Russell Westbrook PPG with the Lakers
During this time with the Lakers, Russell Westbrook averaged 17.4 points per game. Efficiency wise, Westbrook shot 43.4% from the field, including 29.7% from deep.
Russell Westbrook APG with the Lakers
Russell Westbrook averaged 7.2 assists per game for the 17 time NBA champions. This number was once again quite low compared to his previous seasons when he was above 10 assists per game for five of the six years prior.
Russell Westbrook RPG with the Lakers
Once again, in the rebounds category, Westbrook’s numbers fell drastically as he went from averaging nearly 10-11 rebounds per game to 7.2 rpg with the Lakers.
Overall, it is safe to conclude that the former Thunders’ point guard did not have a pleasant outing when he was playing for one of the most storied franchises in the NBA. Along with decreased production on offense and high amount of turnovers, Westbrook’s stint with the Lakers was one to forget for both parties.
FAQs
A. Russell Westbrook was born in Long Beach, California on November 12, 1988.
A. Throughout his career, Russell Westbrook has played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, LA Lakers, and now the LA Clippers.
A. Russell Westbrook was drafted in the 2008 NBA Draft with the fourth overall pick by the Thunder (then Seattle Supersonics).
A. Russell Westbrook plays as a point guard.
A. Russell Westbrook has completed 15 seasons in the NBA. He was drafted in 2008.
