Russell Westbrook made his highly-anticipated Los Angeles Lakers debut on Friday night.
It did not go well for him.
Westbrook finished with two points, seven rebounds, four assists and six turnovers on 1-for-7 shooting in 17 minutes of action, and LA ended up falling 121-114 to the Golden State Warriors.
Four of Westbrook’s six turnovers came in roughly one minute’s span.
After the game, Lakers head coach Frank Vogel offered one very simple explanation for Westbrook’s struggles: he was trying to be too unselfish.
The Lakers are obviously going all-in this year. Westbrook’s acquisition was indicative of that, as he is on the books for $44 million this season and $47 million next season.
Anthony Davis committing to a full body transformation over the summer was pretty indicative of that, too.
The question now is whether LA will be able to put it all together.
Overall this team has a lot of individual players who have enjoyed success at various points in their careers, but not necessarily folks who are the peak of their playing abilities. That coupled with their extremely advanced age is a high-risk, high-reward proposition.
PJ Washington’s new girlfriend is making quite the impression. https://t.co/Seaq1IPDzo
— Game 7 (@game7__) October 8, 2021
Either the Lakers will be very successful in 2021-22, or they’ll flame out in dramatic fashion.
Which will it ultimately be? Time will tell.
Related: Luka Doncic Snaps, Starts Yelling At Clippers Mid-Game (Video)
Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
