Last season, the Denver Nuggets failed to repeat as NBA champions after taking home the Larry O’Brien trophy in 2023. They fell in the second round of the playoffs to the Minnesota Timberwolves in seven games.
While not the favorite to win in all in the 2024-25 season, Denver is amongst the favorites. As long as they have three-time MVP Nikola Jokic on their roster, the Nuggets can’t be counted out. Denver’s depth has been depleted each of the last two offseasons though. In the summer of 2023, Bruce Brown and Jeff Green, two integral bench pieces on the Nuggets championship squad, signed elsewhere. This offseason, it was starting shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as he signed with the Orlando Magic. That will force head coach Mike Malone to insert Christian Braun into the starting lineup, after he was one of the team’s main reserves the previous two seasons.
The Nuggets do have a new future Hall of Fame player that is looking to provide a large spark to a bench that has lost numerous pieces recently.
Future Hall Of Famer Believes New NBA Team Provides Better Fit
Westbrook Is Entering His 17th NBA Season
Other than win an NBA championship, there is little that the 35-year-old Russell Westbrook hasn’t accomplished in the NBA. He won MVP while with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2016-17. That was the first of four seasons that Westbrook averaged a triple-double. His 199 career triple-doubles are the most in NBA history. A nine-time All-Star and nine-time All-NBA, Westbrook has led the league in scoring twice and assists three times.
As he has begun to age, he certainly hasn’t been quite as productive, but he is surely still useful. Entering his 17th NBA season, Westbrook signed a two-year deal (second year is a player option) with Denver after spending last season with the Los Angeles Clippers. Last season, Westbrook finished seventh in Sixth Man of the Year voting.
Bennett Durando of the Denver Post recently spoke with Westbrook as he heads into his first season with the Nuggets. Westbrook clearly believes that his skill set is better suited for Denver when compared to the Clippers, as he stated this:
“To be honest, it was unique. They just didn’t put me in a position to make it unique. I was in a position where I was playing not my position. And being able to be here, and coach (Michael) Malone allowing me to be able to use my speed, use my transition skill to be able to make other guys better, makes the game easy for everybody surrounding me. That’s what I love to do best.”
The Clippers were not an uptempo team for much of last season, and they finished 20th in pace out of 30 teams. Denver was even lower at 27th. Their pace never will be amongst the game’s best as they roster Jokic, and the Nuggets could switch up their play-style when the bench come in now that they have the still-athletic Westbrook leading that group of reserves.
One Triple-Double Away From 200
Westbrook is just one triple-double shy of becoming the first to reach 200 for his career. The triple-double numbers have dried up a bit for Westbrook though as he gets deeper into his NBA career. Last season, he did have one on April 9, when he recorded 16 points, 15 rebounds, and 15 assists. That was his first triple-double in well over a year as his previous one came on January 15, 2023 as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Getting that 200th triple-double probably isn’t Westbrook’s main concern. He is trying to provide more veteran leadership to the young players who will be asked to play larger roles. Westbrook is also looking for his first NBA title.
