Russell Westbrook of the Los Angeles Lakers has been known to deliver triple-double performances, something that aided him to win the NBA's Most Valuable Player in 2017.
At that time, the 33-year-old was the face of the Oklahoma City Thunder and managed to make the NBA playoffs. He brought that same formula to the Houston Rockets and then the Washington Wizards.
However, through it all, the point is that Westbrook’s efforts hardly pushed the said three teams to coming close to winning an NBA title. Hence, this appears to be in line with former coach Stan Van Gundy’s jab on players who deliver triple-double performances.
"In the NBA, achieving a 'triple-double' does not mean a player played well," Van Gundy posted on his Twitter account.
Delivering a triple-double is a rarity and only achieved by special players. But the problem with Westbrook is that these are negated by the fact he is error-prone.
This season alone, he has averaged 4.6 turnovers with the Lakers. In his career, he is averaging 4.1 turnovers per game.
So while Westbrook may be awing NBA fans with his ability to contribute in scoring, rebounding and assisting, having those errors tarnishes the entire effort. And it could be one reason why his efficiency with the purple and gold has been hardly felt.
With the NBA trade deadline fast approaching, the name of Westbrook has been frequently mentioned. Although he appears to be a good fit, such has not been the case so far.
Despite his struggles, one Lakers player who has not given up on Westbrook is LeBron James.
"[Westbrook] gave us extra possessions, he gave us a lot of looks around the basket, which I know that he can't stand [failing to convert] as well," James told reporters after a loss to the Brooklyn Nets. "But as far as the effort piece, if a guy plays hard, if a guy leaves it all out on the floor, I got no problem with that. It's a make-or-miss league."
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