Nuggets' Aaron Gordon ready for 'war' with Russell Westbrook

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The Denver Nuggets fell short of their goal last season to repeat as champion. But now that the 2024-25 season is almost upon us, the Nuggets have a renewed vigor about them as they look to put the disappointment of last year in the rearview mirror. The Nuggets may have lost one of their best contributors over the past three seasons in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, but brought in the ultimate X-factor in the NBA to come off the bench: Russell Westbrook.

Westbrook has been arguably the most polarizing player in the NBA over the past decade. He has clear strengths in his game, but his deficiencies are also glaring, namely, he can’t space the floor consistently well.

But the Nuggets are welcoming the fact that he’s on the roster now, with Aaron Gordon commending the energy the former league MVP brings to the table. In fact, Gordon has already been touched by Westbrook’s contagious competitive streak, with Gordon saying that he’s ready to do whatever it takes while competing alongside the veteran floor genral.

“Just the energy. He's a hell of a competitor. You want him on your side and I'm glad we got him… Dude is a legend… I'm ready to go to war with him,” Gordon said in his press conference, via the official NBA account on X (formerly known as Twitter).

"Just the energy. He's a hell of a competitor. You want him on your side and I'm glad we got him… Dude is a legend… I'm ready to go to war with him."

Aaron Gordon on Russell Westbrook

(via @NBA)pic.twitter.com/wXPIeqI4XH

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Indeed, if there’s anything Russell Westbrook is in abundance of, it’s this competitive fire and the us-against-the-world mentality that he brings on every single night. When Westbrook is on the team, he’s fully bought in. Nearly all of his former teammates have spoken highly of him, and Aaron Gordon’s remarks show that nothing has changed in that regard for the 35-year-old guard.

Of course, jelling with the team might take time. The Nuggets will be well aware of Westbrook’s weak spots on the court, and they will want to avoid putting him in positions where it will be difficult for him to contribute. But Westbrook has made their locker room vibes immaculate, which should be of big help considering the regular season grind that lies ahead.

Russell Westbrook and the Nuggets brace for a Western Conference bloodbath

Russell Westbrook said that he wanted to sign with the Nuggets due to the fact that they play the right way — with the ball always moving and the team giving up good shots to find great looks. The Nuggets, however, will have to reconfigure their offense if they were to keep up with the behemoths of the Western Conference.

The heartbeat of the team will continue to be the Nikola Jokic-Jamal Murray two-man game, but other than that, the Nuggets will have to find other reliable ways to generate points — especially from the perimeter. Last season, the Nuggets were the lowest-volume three-point shooting team in the league, and they will have to tilt the mathematical equation back in their favor if they were to improve upon last year’s effort.

Westbrook should help in that regard. He is an unselfish playmaker who works well with the ball in his hands, and the sheer force with which he attacks the basket should generate good looks from beyond the arc. Michael Porter Jr., Julian Strawther, and Dario Saric will thrive alongside Westbrook, while Peyton Watson could be a good pick-and-roll partner for the 35-year-old guard.

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