When the Nuggets signed Russell Westbrook this past offseason, they knew what they were getting themselves into. Plenty of teams tried to make it work in recent years with Russ, and ultimately failed. That’s a big part of the reason he was even available for Denver.
Westbrook had burnt his last few bridges and was toiling away on the free-agent market without any clear home in the league. The Nuggets, luckily for him, had a desperate need for players capable of filling NBA minutes, handling the ball, running some offense, and doing a bit of everything.
We ended up with a marriage of arrangement, Russ to the Nuggets on a minimu contract. For the most part, he has been just as advertised. He had some incredible highs during the regular season, meshing wonderfully with Jokic, and playing so well at times, that it became impossible for Micahel Malone to keep him off the floor.
But there were also plenty of lows throughout the year, notably his disastrous final minutes against Minnesota last month that likely played a role in Malone losing his job. This has always been the conundrum with Russ; he’s great until he isn’t. The positives he brings to the game are undeniable, but sadly, so are the negatives.
Adelman and Nuggets can’t get too tied to Westbrook
David Adelman pushed all the right buttons in his first playoff game as head coach. And the biggest one was closing with Westbrook over Porter Jr. There were some hairy moments for sure, but the good outweighed the bad, and Russ was one of the main heroes of Denver’s game one victory. In fact, there’s no world where they win that game without him.
But with Russ, it always feels like you’re pushing your luck and the Nuggets should be ready for htat reality in game two, and beyond. Westbrook was great, but he can just as easily play the Nuggets out of a game by missing shots, turning the ball over, forcing unnecessary action, and making boneheaded plays on both ends.
We’ve seen it countless times, and it will inevitably happen again at some point. Denver was lucky to win game one. They leaned into their starters for heavy minutes and played Russ 34 massive minutes off the bench, but they can’t count on that type of consistency from him every game, not by a long shot.
Nuggets have to have Westbrook on a short leash
Adelman pressed the right buttons in game one, but he’s not done pressing buttons, and they may be different buttons in game two. Westbrook’s production can be fools gold and the young, interim coach needs to live in the moment and react accordingly.
If Westbrook has an early shift and looks like he’s pressing, or doesnt have it, Adelman needs to be very quick to pull the plug and move on with different lineups. That’s the beauty of Russ - he’s a minimum signing and should be treated as such. When he gives you brilliance, like in game one, enjoy the found money, but don’t overreact.
He could be unplayable in game two, and Adelman needs to make that read early and adjust. Don’t treat him like the Hall of Fame player that he is, because this is not that version of Russ. Hopefully, he can continue to play at that level and help the Nuggets advance through the playoffs. But he’s almost certainly going to have bad nights, and Adelman can’t let them sink his team.