Vogel has interesting theory for Westbrook's ugly Lakers debut

Russell Westbrook scored just two points and had six turnovers in his first action as a Laker. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Frank Vogel has interesting theory for Russell Westbrook's ugly preseason debut

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated 10/9/21

Russell Westbrook’s much-anticipated Los Angeles Lakers debut was not a memorable one, and coach Frank Vogel thinks he knows why.

Westbrook played 17 minutes of Friday’s preseason game against the Golden State Warriors, scoring two points on 1-of-7 shooting. Westbrook also had six turnovers to only four assists.

Vogel suggested that Westbrook had tried too hard to play distributor and set up his teammates, which contributed to the turnovers.

Frank Vogel says he thinks some of Russell Westbrook’s turnovers came from him being too unselfish and trying to set his teammates up early.

— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) October 9, 2021

It’s amusing in a way, as one of the concerns about Westbrook’s acquisition was that he would want the ball in his hands to the detriment of his teammates. Maybe Westbrook heard that chatter and wanted to try to disprove it early.

Given the amount of work the Lakers have been putting in behind the scenes, there’s no reason to think Westbrook and his teammates won’t be in sync when the season starts. He might just need to play his more natural game and see where it takes them.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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