Karl-Anthony Towns accuses Russell Westbrook of chasing stats: ‘He tries to do too much’

For years, many NBA fans have believed that Russell Westbrook does everything in his power to make his numbers look good.

While not everyone feels that way, it sounds like Karl-Anthony Towns agrees with the idea that Westbrook “chases stats.”

“He definitely gets stats,” Towns said. “He chases stats, but I think he’s a hell of a player, though. I don’t care what anyone says — you know how hard it is to get a triple-double? … And he play hella hard. I just think that sometimes he plays too quick. He tries to do too much.”

Westbrook’s fit with the Los Angeles Lakers has been a hot topic since the day L.A. acquired him.

The 33-year-old is at his best when he has a very high usage, which is problematic given the fact that the Lakers boast two other high-usage superstars in LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

In past years, Westbrook’s playing style and high usage have allowed him to post some monster numbers. He has averaged a triple-double in four different seasons, which is definitely a remarkable feat. But this season, in the eyes of many, his playing style hasn’t worked out for the Lakers.

L.A. is just 16-18 so far. Fortunately for the Lakers, the Western Conference isn’t very deep this season, so the team is still firmly in the postseason picture despite its losing record.

L.A. holds the No. 7 seed in the West at the moment. Time will tell if the Lakers can improve upon their spot in the standings.