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“Russell Westbrook isn’t leading the NBA in turnovers per game?”: How the Lakers superstar is being ‘overshadowed’ by former teammate James Harden

Samir Mehdi
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“Russell Westbrook isn’t leading the NBA in turnovers per game?”: How the Lakers superstar is being ‘overshadowed’ by former teammate James Harden

Russell Westbrook isn’t leading the league in turnovers per game anymore as James Harden has officially taken him over. 

Russell Westbrook seemed as defeated as ever during his postgame interview following the Lakers loss to the Memphis Grizzlies this past week. With the season reaching its halfway point, the Los Angeles Lakers have yet to figure out what their go-to lineup will be when it comes to the postseason, i.e.; if they make the postseason. 

The purple and gold have experimented with the most lineups this season out of any teams and they have yet to find that golden lineup. Russell Westbrook hasn’t meshed well alongside his teammates all too well this ‘22 season, leading to a near career high rate in turnovers per game.

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He had merely a single game this season with 0 turnovers but has been putting up an average of 4.6 TOV per game. Game in and game out Russ has been receiving flack for carelessness with the rock, unlike another superstar who is actually averaging more turnovers than ‘Brodie’ himself. 

Russell Westbrook averages less turnovers than James Harden. 

Russell Westbrook recently said that he’s allowed to make mistakes and miss shots. If James Harden was crucified for his inefficiencies and recklessness with the ball as much as Russ has been, he’d probably say the same. 

‘The Beard’ has officially passed the 2017 MVP in turnovers per game with a 0.2 difference as he averages 4.8 TOV per game. He has however, played 7 more games than Westbrook, which should actually prove to be more detrimental to his case in this aspect.

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When it comes to total turnovers on the season however, Russell Westbrook leads the pack with a whopping 184 to Harden’s 164. Harden also boasts a higher assist to ratio at just above 2 while Russ is just below 2. 

 

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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