SPORTS OPINION | Russell Westbrook is not going to save the Denver Nuggets

I was never a basketball follower when Russell Westbrook was averaging a triple-double, making All-Star games and in MVP contention. The Westbrook I know is the guy who has consistently failed to bring a ring to every could-have-been super team he has been on. 

With much of the sports world excited about what Westbrook will supposedly bring to the table for the Denver Nuggets, I have to ask that we all pump the brakes. This is not the same player who was a key part of the Oklahoma City Thunder in the early 2010s. 2024 Westbrook is washed.  

Last year, Westbrook played alongside some of the greats: Paul George and Kyrie Irving. The Los Angeles Clippers had an inspiring win streak mid-season after finding their groove with James Harden. As a Nuggets fan, I felt very threatened by the Clippers by the time playoff discussions started.  

And yet, my last memory of Westbrook in the 2023-24 season is his very unceremonious exit from game three against the Dallas Mavericks. He was punching the air after providing the Clippers with one point, zero for seven field goals, two technical fouls and one ejection.  

Westbrook did not put up “Mr. Triple-Double” numbers last season. He averaged 11 points, five rebounds and four-and-a-half assists, certainly not an above-average, team-saving player. If he couldn’t shine for the Clippers, I am confused how he is supposed to be the person who elevates the young Nuggets to dynasty status.  

Yes, Nikola Jokić can make almost any player shine on the court (compare Nuggets Jamal Murray to Team Canada Murray, not the same), but the Nuggets need support in non-Jokić minutes. Last year, the Nuggets averaged six less points and seven less rebounds when Jokić was off the court. I believe that Jokić can elevate Westbrook when they play together, but those minutes are not where the Nuggets are lacking.  

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope left an enormous hole in the Nuggets starting lineup when he shockingly took a contract with the Orlando Magic. His speed, defensive tact and success from the three-point line were entirely necessary in the Nuggets’ 2023 championship run.  

Westbrook doesn’t fill that role as a backup point guard. It is up to Christian Braun and Peyton Watson to leg up to what Caldwell-Pope provided, not Westbrook. Westbrook is there to support the team when Murray is off the court, but I don’t believe Westbrook will greatly outshine the job Reggie Jackson did as a backup PG.  

The Nuggets’ pre-season failures have shown that already. Last season, the Nuggets were the only team to not lose to the Boston Celtics. In the Abu Dhabi exhibition games, we lost to the defending champions twice.  

Westbrook’s stats were not totally disappointing (12 points, eight rebounds, four assists in the Oct. 4 game). However, I am not encouraged by his almost immediate injury and the Nuggets’ losses. If we can’t beat a team we were happy to clobber twice last year, how am I supposed to believe we can potentially take home a ring against them? 

The Nuggets’ 124-94 loss to the Thunder Oct. 16 is further proof that Westbrook cannot carry this team. With Jokić and Murray on the bench, it was time for Westbrook to prove he can lead younger players in the absence of the Nugget stars. 

Instead, the Nuggets suffered a complete blowout. A loss without our dynamic duo is one thing, but a 30-point deficit is just embarrassing.  

With the season opener set for a Thunder repeat on Oct. 24, I am holding out whatever hope I can find that I will be wrong, and Westbrook with bring Denver another ring. If he couldn’t do it elsewhere in his prime, though, I have no faith that he will do it for us now. 

Russell Westbrook. Photo courtesy of Sports Illustrated.