Russell Westbrook has had quite a roller-coaster debut campaign with the Los Angeles Lakers so far. The 2016-17 MVP initially struggled out of the gates with his new team, and many Lakers fans were quick to jump on him as one of the primary reasons for the Lakers' slow start to the season.

But over these last couple of weeks, it seems like Westbrook is finally rounding into the form that Lakers Nation expected of him when they acquired him this past summer. His play over his last eight games could be the sign that he's finally turning the corner for the Purple and Gold franchise.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4eyMtHUETPlGtzzbISEXc8?si=22f7578e173f4729

Westbrook's numbers over this stretch of 23.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 8.9 assists per game indicate that he is over his early-season slump. It may not be the same tantalizing production he had a season ago when he averaged a triple-double, but he is by far a huge positive on the floor for Los Angeles. Furthermore, Westbrook is also playing with solid efficiency splits over this eight-game stretch. His turnovers are also down to 3.6 per game throughout these eight outings compared to 5.0 a night over the first 17.

Check out this stat line:

*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)*

With LeBron James top-scoring with 30 points, Russell Westbrook provided the spark plug to propel Los Angeles to one of their better wins of the 2021-22 season on Tuesday night. The Lakers toppled the rival Boston Celtics in a convincing 117-102 victory. With both squads going neck-and-neck through the first half, it was Westbrook's huge third-quarter burst that swung the game toward the Purple and Gold.

Westbrook scored 15 of his 24 points in that period, making 6-of-8 from the field. He also knocked down his lone triple try in that quarter, a semi-transition pull-up trey that gave the Lakers a 13-point lead midway through the period. The nine-time All-Star played with tremendous energy and aggressiveness that helped the Lakers pull away. He made it a point to force his way to the basket instead of settling for jumpers. He also found his teammates on a number of heads-up dimes.

More than anything, his performance against the Celtics showed that he is getting more comfortable and has made his adjustments in playing off the ball. He also seems to have learned where his teammates are and where he can find them with easier looks on the floor.

After the game, Anthony Davis noted how Westbrook has been much more aggressive as of late compared to the early parts of the season, where he looked to defer to James and Davis at times. AD claimed that if Westbrook continues to play in attack mode like he usually does, that will open up the game more for the rest of the team.

Via Lakers Review:

Glossing over Westbrook's stats from the first 17 games compared to these last eight, there doesn't seem to be much discrepancy with the way he's playing. He actually averaged more drives per game at 18.4 in the first 17 games versus 17.6 per game through this eight-game stretch. That shows there hasn't really been any real difference in his mindset to attack the rim. But looking at his play over the last eight, it's clear that he Westbrook is reading the game much better. His drives are more purposeful, instead of the wild ones we saw from him early in the year.

Just like with anything new, Westbrook may have just needed some time to adapt and grow more comfortable with his new environment. Playing with ball-dominant superstars like LeBron James and Anthony Davis definitely warrants some kind of adjustment. That first quarter of the 2021-22 season served as his adjustment season. But with that over and done with, perhaps Russell Westbrook will now be Russell Westbrook the rest of the way.

Buckle up, Lakers fans, this could be fun.