"That is not normal" - Russell Westbrook on fans' unrealistic expectations from him this season
Russell Westbrook has said that the expectations of LA Lakers fans from him have not been 'normal'.
He has taken a lot of criticism for the Lakers' recent dip in form. The 33-year-old has put up decent numbers, but his high turnover volume has hurt the Purple and Gold, who are 16-18 on the season. Despite the intense scrutiny on his performances, Westbrook is focused and determined to deliver for his hometown team.
The former MVP has had some pretty impressive performances, and is the only Lakers player to have played all games this season. Nevertheless, there's still a lingering perception that he's not a good fit for the team. Commenting on the same, Russell Westbrook said in a post-practice interview:
"The conversations been heavily on how I'm playing and what I'm doing, but I think people are expecting me to have f***25-15-15, which is not normal; everybody has to understand that is not a normal thing people do consistently... "
"When people are saying 'let Russ be Russ', I really think nobody understands what all that means; I think people say it, but nobody actually knows what that means, but myself and Ima lean on that and make sure what I'm supposed to do and let everything else outside of the lockerroom, whatever that maybe take care of itself."
"I'm over the whole situation of what everybody else wants me to do...I'm going to go out and just play and do what I do best." Russell Westbrook on ignoring the outside noise and staying true to his game. #LakeShow https://t.co/D1g2Z6tSyx
Westbrook has been a great facilitator for his teammates. His turnovers have hurt the Purple and Gold, but when he has had a good game, the Lakers have also fared well.
His move to the Lakers was highly hyped. Although it hasn't lived up to expectations, the guard is focused on his goal - helping the Lakers win the championship. Speaking about the same, Westbrook said:
"Honestly I am over the situation of what everybody else wants me to do, and what they think I should should be doing. I'm gonna go out and play and do what I know I do best, and that's competing my ass off, compete to better win games, make my teammates better like I've done many many years, and I'll continue to do that; it's simple as that."
“I think people are expecting me to have f*ckin’ 25, 15 and 15. That’s not normal.”
- Russell Westbrook at a press conference today https://t.co/GyBonrLnQe
Can Russell Westbrook turn things around for the LA Lakers?
Russell Westbrook has averaged 19.6 PPG, 7.9 RPG and 8.1 APG in 34 appearances. Although these numbers look decent, for a player of Westbrook's quality, they are a tad underwhelming.
The 33-year-old is known to be a slow starter. Last season, he featured for the Washington Wizards, and had an equally slow start. However, after the All-Star break, he embarked on a stellar run of form to end the year averaging triple-double numbers.
Unc @ShannonSharpe compared Russell Westbrook to the pretty girl at the rivals school 😭😭😭😭
“Russ is like that pretty girl @ rival school that makes you say if she was my girl, I’ll treat her like a queen and then when you get her, you realize why all the dudes left her” https://t.co/1SoLRfrFAw
This season, the Lakers have a star-studded roster. The team is yet to play a game at full strength, but once that happens, their results should improve.
Westbrook brings a lot of hard work and toughness to the team. That could be beneficial for the team in the long run. As far as his performances are concerned, they should only get better as the season progresses.
Once he gets going, it could be difficult to stop him. Having taken a fair bit of criticism, Westbrook will be keen to prove his doubters wrong by helping turn around his team's fortunes.