The Denver Nuggets currently stand just a game and a half back of the Houston Rockets for the second seed in the Western Conference. After all the struggles this team has endured this season, the fact that they are in this position is very impressive. Even with as many questions as the Nuggets still have, there is always the chance for this team to return to the promised land with Nikola Jokic leading the way. He has been arguably the best player in the association yet again, and he is worthy of yet another MVP award.
Even so, there are some key factors that could doom Denver in the playoffs. Their defense, particularly on the interior, has been an area of concern. If they run into the wrong matchup that can exploit this weakness, they could just as easily be out in the first round. The Nuggets will need all they can get from their role players if they are to make another deep run into the postseason.
Potentially one of the most important x-factors for Denver? Russell Westbrook. The former MVP has been playing far above his expectations all season long, surprising everyone and potentially even earning himself a bigger payday once the season is done. But for now, he could be one of the Nuggets' most important players in the playoffs.
Can Westbrook be the Nuggets' new Bruce Brown in the playoffs?
Hear me out on this, but Westbrook could potentially bring the same kind of impact that Bruce Brown brought during Denver's championship run two seasons ago. Brown was a huge difference-maker for that squad, and the Nuggets clearly missed him this past season. When the playoffs come around, Westbrook will be playing a lot of minutes alongside Jokic - which will 100% maximize his effectiveness.
Some Nuggets fans are going to be quick to point out Russ' disappointing performance in the playoffs with the LA Clippers last year, but we have to take into account situation. Westbrook was in a far worse position to be successful on that team than he is roaming around off-ball waiting for Jokic to hit him with perfectly-timed passes. That scenario was also the lowest-minutes role he has played in the postseason of his career.
All we have to do is look back to two seasons ago when Westbrook was scoring 23.6 points per game against the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs to remember that he was putting up that kind of production with everything on the line not so long ago. Russ has already been a game-changer for this squad all year long, and his impact in the playoffs may end up being more significant than many believe.