Russell Westbrook Blames Himself For Thunder's Struggles

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Russell Westbrook
Westbrook hasn't been happy with how he's been performing lately.

Russell Westbrook is known for being a scoring machine. Averaging a triple-double a game in his MVP campaign a couple of seasons ago, Westbrook showed the world just how talented he is. Although on Sunday, Westbrook had one of his worst games, scoring only nine points in a 105-103 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

"I've just got to do a better job, man," Westbrook told ESPN. "It's really on me. I've been s--- the last month or so. I've just got to get focused in and locked back in on what I need to do. I've got to help my guys out. I've been letting them down, man, just not being consistent on the offensive end."

The Thunder have lost three of their last four games and Westbrook has struggled with his shooting game. The former MVP was 4-22 shooting yesterday and was 0-8 when it came to three-point shooting. According to ESPN, Westbrook's three-point game has suffered this season as he's only at 24.2% efficiency.

Russell Westbrook Blames Himself For Thunder's Struggles
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While Westbrook is disappointed in himself, he isn't too worried about the future and feels as though the team is in a good spot heading into the new year.

"I've been in worse positions, man. It's not the worst thing. We're third in the West. We're winning games. It's not about me," Westbrook explained. "My job is to make sure we win games. I bring so much more to the game of basketball than offense. I defend at a high level, rebound, pass, whatever. I'll do whatever for us to win games."

The Thunder get a second shot against the Mavericks tonight at 8 P.M. Eastern.


About The Author
Alexander Cole is the current editor-in-chief of HotNewHipHop. He started at HotNewHipHop back in 2018 where he began as a Sports and Sneakers writer. It was here where he began to hone his craft, putting his journalism degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, to good use. Since that time, he has documented some of the biggest stories in the hip-hop world. From the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef to the disturbing allegations against Diddy, Alex has helped HotNewHipHop navigate large-scale stories as they happen. In 2021, he went to the Bahamas for the Big 3's Championship Game. It was here where he got to interview legendary figures like Ice Cube, Clyde Drexler, and Stephen Jackson. He has also interviewed other superstar athletes such as Antonio Brown, Damian Lillard, and Paul Pierce. This is in addition to conversations with social media provocateurs like Jake Paul, and younger respected artists like Kaycyy, Lil Tecca, and Jeleel!
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