DENVER — The conversation between Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone and his new point guard Russell Westbrook was a direct one. It also was one of mutual empowerment.
Malone needed leadership in his locker room. He needed someone who could push the basketball and take some of the pressure off his superstar, Nikola Jokić. Westbrook needed a coach who believed in him and a system that allowed him to be the player many around the NBA believed had long ago vanished.
“He was honest with me, and that’s all I needed,” Westbrook said. “He told me what he expected. He wanted me to be myself. He wanted me to be Russ and go out on the floor and make guys better. He wanted me to bring energy and toughness.
“I gotta tell you, we’re just getting started. When we get fully healthy, I think we can be a dangerous team.”
After Friday night’s 124-105 win over the Brooklyn Nets at Ball Arena, the Nuggets are 22-15 on the season. They are in the fourth spot in the Western Conference and are establishing themselves as a team to watch come playoff time. They have been far from a perfect product, but they are at least within shouting distance of where they want to be.
Stating the obvious, Jokić has a lot to do with that. He’s the best player in the world, and he returned from a two-game absence (illness) on Friday to record what seemingly appeared to be the easiest 35-point, 15-assist, 12-rebound triple-double in history.
But Westbrook has been one of the best and most surprising stories in the NBA this season. He’s stepped into the starting lineup with Aaron Gordon out with injury and has been beyond terrific, a revelation to some. He’s having his best season since his one year playing with the Washington Wizards. He’s breathed life into a Denver roster that was a bit stale coming into the year.
“I told him that I wanted him to challenge himself to be the best version of himself,” Malone said. “No offense to any of his past coaches, but if you put Russell Westbrook in the corner, you’re not getting the whole package. We’ve made an effort to get the ball into his hands quite a bit this season.”
Against the Nets, Westbrook recorded his own triple-double, scoring 25 points while grabbing 11 rebounds and handing out 10 assists. He and Jokić became the first duo in NBA history to record a 25-point triple-double in the same regular-season game.
Westbrook reacts following a 3-pointer during Friday’s win against the Brooklyn Nets. (Ron Chenoy / Imagn Images)
The weaknesses of Westbrook have been well documented and discussed in previous seasons: His shot fell off from his prime years. He’s lost some explosion off the dribble and off his vertical jump. But the Nuggets have done a terrific job of allowing Westbrook to do to what he does well. He’s been able to push the ball in transition and run Denver’s offense. He’s been able to create opportunities for himself and for others off the bounce.
He has become one of the steals of the NBA’s offseason.
“You have to give Russell a lot of credit,” Malone said. “He came in here trying to fit in and not trying to stand out. There are moments watching him and Nikola on the floor together where they are so in step with each other. In those two, we have two of the greatest triple-double players in the history of the game. I don’t take that for granted.”
Westbrook’s season with the Nuggets has been mutually beneficial. Denver has long been trying to replace the swagger, the rim pressure and the ability to fly around defensively that Bruce Brown provided during the 2023 NBA title run. Brown brought an edge on the floor that balanced an otherwise mild-mannered lineup, and when he left, the Nuggets of last season weren’t able to find that in anyone else.
Westbrook is a different player than Brown, but he provides similar intangibles. While Brown is currently a better and more versatile defender, Westbrook has done some very good things on that end throughout this season.
Westbrook’s playmaking, however, has been and remains elite. More importantly, Jokić being so dominant has provided space and opportunity for Westbrook to make plays for himself and others, especially in the half court. Westbrook still being a prime-level playmaker but also able to make those plays from a secondary spot on the floor has given the Denver offense a significant boost.
“He’s special because of how dynamic he is,” Jokić said of Westbrook. “He’s able to push the pace and get others involved. You can see how guys run the lanes when he has the ball in transition, because they know if they get open, the ball is going to find them.”
The Nuggets are fifth in the NBA this season in transition points, at 26.1 per game. They average 1.15 points per transition, which is enough to put them ninth in the league. They have played faster with Westbrook, and they have gotten easy baskets with him at the controls. In a season where Denver is consistently looking at ways to ease the offensive burden on Jokić, being able to find easy points has helped.
Jokić still has the offense run through him on nearly every half-court possession. But, particularly on Friday, even those possessions were easier. Several of Westbrook’s assists came from making a pinpoint entry pass that allowed Jokić to simply catch the ball and convert an uncontested layup. There were several times where Jokić would find himself doubled in the post, only to turn and find Westbrook cutting to the basket for a layup.
Westbrook and Jokić have become a quality duo, and their partnership has particularly taken off when Malone increased their minutes together on the floor.
“Nikola is the best player in the world,” Westbrook said. “He does a hell of a job making the game easier for everyone. Since I’ve been here, I’ve been trying to do the same thing: make the game easier for him and other guys. When we both do that, our team is really good.”
(Top photo of Nikola Jokić and Russell Westbrook: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
