Lakers: NBA Expert Points Out Yet Another Jarring Russell Westbrook Stat

Russell Westbrook has a suprising stat after the 2021-22 season.

It is no secret that Russell Westbrook did not play his best during the 2021-22 regular season, but it appears that most players also realized that very quickly. Recently, a statistic was posted on Twitter about 3-point shooters in the NBA and how open they were. 

Well, CBS reporter, Sam Quinn quote tweeted the account NBA University to remind everyone just how below-average Westbrook was playing. 

The fact that Westbrook was this much more open than any other shooter in the NBA is kind of jarring. NBA defenses honestly treat him like Vegas treats whales. He gets the VIP treatment, more open than anyone else because they know he'll keep bricking. https://t.co/XBXfZmBgnf

— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) May 23, 2022

This last season Westbrook was shooting 29.8% from the 3-point line, but still was more open than any other player. Defenses do not see him as a threat and when he goes to shoot a 3-pointer, players just wait for the rebound. Although Westbrook has never been known for shooting threes, this proves that defenses do not think he can score. 

Westbrook was on the court for LA almost every game last season, so players watched him continue to make these small mistakes over and over again. Defenses could see he was not driving to the rim and putting on that superstar power they once saw when he was on the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

Statistically, Westbrook was making just around the same amount of 3-pointers, but since he was always in the spotlight with the Lakers, when he missed a shot, everyone saw it. 

Westbrook frequently became the player attempting to score a buzzer-beater or just help LA take the lead. With that said, players focused on how many times they watched him miss that they did not expect him to score.

Russell Westbrook may not make every 3-pointer, but once the Lakers have some real consistency with their playstyle, the old Westbrook could come out again.