Los Angeles Lakers: 3 concerns after 3-3 start to 2021-22 NBA season

No. 3 — Russell Westbrook has been far from a seamless fit to this point for the Los Angeles Lakers

There was no shortage of question marks when the Lakers traded for Russell Westbrook this past offseason. Due to the unorthodox fit with LA’s other stars, integrating him into the lineup and adjusting to that role as the third star was always viewed as a challenge, but the potential for it to succeed was and still is there.

Throughout these six games, Westbrook has been hot and cold by averaging 18 points, 8.8 boards, and 8.7 assists per contest. On the surface, those numbers are great for a third star, but they fail to tell the entire story. Westbrook is also averaging a gruesome 5.7 turnovers per game, by far the most in his 14-year career. He is also shooting a career-low 20.8 percent from 3-point range on four attempts. Some of this erratic play from Westbrook could be attributed to the fact that he is playing in a new environment alongside two other stars. However, turnovers and outside shooting are the two issues that have plagued the guard throughout his career.

There are varying degrees of concern among who is asked, but it is clear that there are concerns as to whether or not the Lakers can genuinely make this Westbrook experiment work. They have 76 more regular-season games to get it figured out before the playoffs begin, so there might not be enough reason to slam the panic button just yet. That could certainly change as the season goes on, but for now, Westbrook’s inconsistent start is surely a justifiable concern to some extent.

On a positive note, Westbrook played a solid game alongside both James and Davis in the team’s win against the Cleveland Cavaliers Friday night. He had 19 points, six rebounds, and five assists while totaling four turnovers. That could be a great sign of things to come.