Nuggets Shake Up Roster With Russell Westbrook Move: Smart Move Or Risk?

The Denver Nuggets were one of the most surprising outcomes of this past season. As the reigning NBA Champions, they were seen as virtually unbeatable. Thanks to the dominance of the Boston Celtics, fantasy booking of a clash between the two began as early as Christmas. However, instead of a repeat, the team met an early end in the Second Round.

Going up against a young and ascending Minnesota Timberwolves team featuring Anthony Edwards, Denver lost in seven games. Despite the all-time brilliance of Nikola Jokic, a nagging injury to Jamal Murray was the doom of the Nuggets.

In retrospect, the loss of 6th man extraordinaire Bruce Brown was bigger than anticipated. The team never found a suitable replacement, and Christian Braun did not take the leap many saw coming. However, the offseason has gone from bad to worse for Nikola Jokic & Co. The loss of two-time NBA Champion Kentavious Caldwell Pope is a big blow to their already porous defense.

Now, with an expensive roster thanks to four large-scale contracts for their starters, the team is bereft of options. But it looks like the Nuggets have an answer in mind. Before his injury last season, Russell Westbrook was well on his way to a 6MOTY award, leading the regular-season race. As it stands, Denver is set to acquire the former MVP after an exit from the Los Angeles Clippers.

Can Russell Westbrook solve the Denver Nuggets issue?

The Russell Westbrook move is a confusing one for the Nuggets. Their significant losses over the last 2 seasons were Bruce Brown and KCP. Both of those players were quintessential 3-and-D guys who filled a specific role. While Russ is an excellent defender occasionally, his per-possession defense is far from good. As a result, the fit remains questionable.

Further, as one of the league’s least three-point-reliant teams, Denver desperately needed shooting. Whatever Westbrook might be or not, shooting has never been his calling card. As a result, the move doesn’t really help a team that seemed to be on the verge of a dynasty. The one area where Brodie could give the Nuggets a boost is the bench minutes.

While not as explosive or natural as a scorer, Westbrook can give the team some stability on offense. As a result, some of the youth on the team could thrive off the bench, getting easy opportunities thanks to the 35-year-old.

The one positive for Westbrook in this scenario is his perceived image. While fans and media alike have given him many unsavory tags, his demand around the league remains high. Notions of “stat-padder” or “erratic” might be popular on X, but the league’s best see his value unquestionably.

During the disastrous Los Angeles Lakers tenure, it was a four-time NBA champion and one of the greatest players of all time, LeBron James, who saw the value of Westbrook. Similarly, according to reports, three-time league MVP Nikola Jokic was pushing for Denver to land Russell.

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