Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet had a very strong outing in Saturday’s win over the Golden State Warriors with 27 points and 12 assists.
However, he was three rebounds shy of a triple-double, and after the game, he threw some shade at Los Angeles Lakers star Russell Westbrook.
“My teammates don't give me the Westbrook treatment and get out the way so I'm gonna have to have a word with them.”
– Fred VanVleet on falling 3 rebounds shy of a triple double
(h/t @vivekmjacob ) pic.twitter.com/G8pGkqkFCp
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 19, 2021
VanVleet was the biggest factor in Toronto’s 119-100 win on Saturday. The Warriors decided to sit out Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins for the contest.
Westbrook, despite being a 6-foot-3 guard, has averaged double figures in rebounding in multiple seasons.
However, critics have accused him of taking shortcuts defensively and stealing rebounds from his teammates in order to pad his stats.
After a somewhat shaky start to the season, Westbrook has been mostly playing well for the Lakers, averaging 19.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game on the year.
His speed, aggressiveness and ability to attack the rim, among his other skills, have helped keep the struggling and shorthanded Lakers afloat in the always-competitive Western Conference.
L.A. is currently 16-14 and is clinging to the sixth seed in the West.
With superstar big man Anthony Davis out for the next several weeks with a sprained MCL, Westbrook will likely be called upon to step up his game, especially as a scorer, to help the Lakers build some real momentum.
Coming into Friday’s blowout loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, L.A. had won three games in a row and six of its last eight.
