Russell Westbrook The 17-year-old will begin the final chapter of his illustrious career when the NBA season resumes in about two months. The nine-time All-Star has agreed to a contract with the Denver Nuggets for two years, $6.8 million July 26. He was released by the Utah Jazz on July 20 after being exchange Westbrook was drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers. He is expected to face the team that drafted him in the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team he was a part of for 11 years. Westbrook could have an impact on the title race when he returns to Oklahoma.
Could Westbrook impact the title race when he returns to Oklahoma?
The nine-time All-NBA honoree, now on his sixth career team, is in a unique situation, even by his standards. Westbrook has played with several future Hall of Famers like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, James HardenAnd Kawhi Leonard. Always, Nikola Jokić is the first MVP center he will play with. Sorry Anthony DavisBut despite his impressive CV, he did not win the award.
Jokić and the Nuggets failed to defend their first title last season. They lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-3 in the second round of the playoffs in a hard-fought series. Ultimately, what cost them against the Wolves was a lack of consistency in shooting. The only team whose bench scored the fewest points (14.8) The Lakers were the first to qualify for the playoffs. The Nuggets hope that signing Westbrook will solve some of those problems.
Westbrook had a a kind of rebirth on the Clippers. After a rough stretch as a starter for the Lakers, he found a role as a backup for their cross-town rivals. The 2016-17 MVP winner had the most effective stretch of his career (.eFG of 50.1% over 89 matches) despite having one of the lowest points averages of his career.
Westbrook has always been a player who thrives on chaos. At his peak, he could influence a team’s trajectory for the season. Now, he can influence games. He could fill a significant role as a backup for the Nuggets as a spark plug. ranked 25th in the league in bench points (29.4).
Back to Oklahoma
The Thunder traded Westbrook in 2019. It marked the end of a competitive era and signaled a new beginning for the franchise. That rebuild resulted in last year’s 57-win team led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder became the youngest seed in history. The team also swept a 4-0 playoff series for only the second time in their history. Ultimately, they lost a very competitive and close series to the Mavericks. After a productive offseason that saw them add Isaiah Hartenstein And Alex CarusoThe Thunder are favored to come out of the West.
Even though the Westbrook trade is behind us and the future Hall of Fame point guard is preparing to play for the Nuggets, his return to Bricktown remains a highly anticipated event. The reception he receives is always enthusiastic and affectionate.
However, his visit to the Nuggets brings unusual circumstances. Oklahoma City will host its division rivals on March 4 and 5 for the final two games of the season series. The series will begin with the Nuggets hosting the first two games on October 24 and November 6 in the Mile High City.
The back-to-back March games in Oklahoma City are crucial for both teams as they face off in what is expected to be a tight Western Conference standings. The games will be tough, with the first starting at noon and the second returning to the usual 7 p.m. local time.
Every time these two teams meet, it’s must-see TV, and every time Westbrook returns to Oklahoma City, it’s a big one. However, this unique back-to-back series between two contenders could be the deciding factor in who secures the top seed in the West.
