Russell Westbrook, known for his explosiveness and athleticism, finished off the game against the Sacramento Kings with 0 turnovers. This happened for the first time since March 14, 2016.
This put an end to a 407-game streak with a turnover for the Lakers’ point guard. Russ averages a career-high 4.8 turnovers this season which is definitely not a good sign. In the end, the 0-turnover game was long-awaited and it will be curious to see whether this will have an impact on his overall performance.
Russell Westbrook finished Tuesday with 0 turnovers vs Kings.
It was the first time since March 14, 2016 that he did not record a turnover in a game.
That snaps a 407-game streak with a turnover, which was the longest since turnover tracking started in 1977-78. pic.twitter.com/OaN0f8Lxjm
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 5, 2022
Russell Westbrook averages 19.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 8.3 assists this season. For 38 games played, the Brodie has a 45.5 FG% which is higher than his career average. However, many people criticize him that he is a stat padder. He might be one of the top players when it comes to plain numbers, but he fails to deliver when it’s most needed.
Russ has been considered to be one of the disappointments in recent years. He won the MVP Award in 2017, finishing off with his first triple-double season as part of the OKC Thunder. Westbrook averaged 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists throughout the campaign. However, his desire to shine has hurt each one of his teams during the years.
The athletic point guard is still looking for his maiden NBA Championship. He came close to winning it on two separate occasions. First, in the 2011-12 NBA season, Russ led his OKC Thunder to the NBA Finals. Unfortunately, Westbrook, Durant, and Harden lost in 5 games to LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and the Miami Heat.
A couple of years later, Mr. Triple Double got his second chance at conquering the NBA. In 2015-16, the Thunder took a demanding 3-1 lead against the Warriors in the Conference Finals. However, with the pressure piling up ahead, the Splash Brothers made a full comeback, thus eliminating Westbrook.
The 33-year-old has a couple of years left to play on a high level, but he will need to figure something out as soon as possible. Otherwise, he will remain one of the best players to play in the NBA who will retire without a Championship Ring.
