Zach Lowe is intrigued by the Denver Nuggets' acquisition of Russell Westbrook . Following the news that Russ intends to sign with the Mile High squad after being dealt by the L.A. Clippers, the ESPN expert detailed his thoughts about the former MVP's fit on the Mile High City.
"This is just a why-not signing for the Nuggets," Lowe said on NBA Today. "They don't have a point guard, and they're searching for an identity on their bench. That identity can be, go go go chaos, Russell Westbrook basketball. You put him next to Dario Saric as a small ball five; maybe there's enough spacing for it to work."
"He and Jokic, you can imagine them working together in transition or maybe with Aaron Gordon is on the floor because it's hard to play Russ with even one another player who's a non-shooter since his jump shot has just declined to that point that it ran its course with the Clippers," he concluded.
A contentious acquisition
As it stands, the Nuggets have suffered a significant setback this season, and their title chances might have fallen a bit. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope committed to the Orlando Magic, and Reggie Jackson left after being traded to the Charlotte Hornets. Despite the addition of Dario Saric, Denver is less convincing than it has been in recent years, given the significant voids in their starting lineup and bench unit.
The arrival of Westbrook is deemed a desperate move from the Nuggets and made out of urgency to address their roster needs. Now a shell of his former self with glaring issues regarding his shot selection, ball dominance, and decision-making, there are lingering questions about how he will coexist with the team stars.
" This is a kind of a why-not for the Nuggets. Maybe this unlocks their bench, maybe it gives them a little power, and if it doesn't, they don't really need Russell Westbrook the same way the Clippers and some of his other teams did," Lowe concluded.
Still a good move from Denver
The Nuggets fans may have to embrace an incoming roller coaster ride with a one-time MVP. Still, they have no choice but to be positive about Westbrook's entry to their roster. There's a reason why Jokic wanted him. Russ ultimately chose Denver as his next destination and appears fully aware of the role and contributions he needs to make.
He is expected to lead the team's secondary unit and bring that energy, leadership, and all-around ability. At this point, Russ can still be relied on in plenty of on-court exposure by igniting everyone with his intensity and spark plug demeanor as a sixth man. He averaged 11.1 points, 5.0 boards, and 4.5 assists with the Clippers, which is considerably promising and beyond impressive production-wise for 22.5 minutes of play.
It might be polarizing, but the Nuggets have made a fairly good move by bringing Russ at their side, which only cost them a veteran's minimum deal. We can only wait and see how the future Hall of Famer will attempt to perform at his best to help Denver reclaim the throne and for himself to secure that first career championship.
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