In order to strengthen the team’s bench following the departure of some key players, Denver Nuggets chose to sign Russell Westbrook to a two-year, $6.8 million contract after his trade and subsequent release from the Utah Jazz. Nikola Jokic was reportedly among the loudest voices lobbied for the Nuggets So to bring the 2017 NBA MVP on board, a vision must be put in place that seamlessly integrates Westbrook into the Mile High City’s winning machine.
However, at this point in his career, Westbrook has one glaring weakness: his outside shot. While he does impact the game with his energy, speed and creative playWestbrook doesn’t inspire any respect from the perimeter, especially now that his mid-range shot has deserted him.
Despite recent workout videos Showing Westbrook making threes with a fluid stroke, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst, speaking on the Hoop Collective podcast, implored the Nuggets not to let him take three points at any rate.
“Honestly, I would never let him shoot three-pointers again,” Windhorst said.
Russell Westbrook arrives to take Reggie Jackson’s place, which the Nuggets traded earlier in offseason and has since joined the Philadelphia 76ers. Westbrook is a high-risk, high-reward player who can change the course of a game with his running and playing the center field role at this stage of his career, but Jackson, as Bontemps pointed out, is a much better three-point shooter.
“Their fourth-best three-point shooter was Reggie Jackson, who shot it pretty well. That’s the only thing he did well. They replaced him with Russell Westbrook, who is literally the worst three-point shooter in NBA history,” Bontemps said. “I mean, he shouldn’t be shooting.”
It will be interesting to see how the Nuggets leverage Westbrook’s useful, if limited, skillset. But there’s no reason to see him come in a trade for a player with Jackson, as his style of play is vastly different than the 76ers’ current point guard.
Will Russell Westbrook be able to sink three-point attempts with the Nuggets?
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Russell Westbrook’s 2023-24 season with the Los Angeles Clippers hasn’t been ideal. He seemed to have found a new lease on life after signing with the team in February 2023, as he played the primary point guard role on a team with a solid core player (Ivica Zubac) and plenty of shooters around them. But the Clippers’ decision to bring in James Harden relegated Westbrook to a more off-ball role, which he frankly isn’t suited to handle.
However, it’s fair to wonder to what extent Westbrook will play a major playmaking role for the Nuggets. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are going to be the main players in the team’s offense, as their two-man game remains the heart of Denver’s offense. So how exactly will Westbrook fit into that dynamic?
As the 2024 NBA Playoffs RevealedPutting Westbrook on the court alongside other dominant players on the court is a recipe for disaster. He shot 26 percent from the field and 23 percent from beyond the arc in the Clippers’ first-round loss to the Dallas Mavericks, weighing the team down in the process.
Given Westbrook’s track record as a shooter, it would be ideal for the Nuggets not to attempt too many three-pointers per game. But Denver would be better off putting him in a position where he doesn’t take too many three-pointers, limiting his minutes whenever his shot misses so as not to expose Westbrook’s biggest weakness while dragging the team down with him.