Nuggets' Russell Westbrook ripped by ESPN's Brian Windhorst, Tim Bontemps

09/11/2024 10:46 PM

In a move to bolster the team’s bench following the departures of a few key players, the Denver Nuggets opted to sign Russell Westbrook to a two-year, $6.8 million deal following his trade and subsequent release from the Utah Jazz. Nikola Jokic was reportedly among the strongest voices that lobbied for the Nuggets to bring the 2017 NBA MVP aboard, so there must be a vision in place that integrates Westbrook seamlessly into the winning machine in the Mile High City.

However, at this juncture of Westbrook’s career, he has one glaring weakness — his outside shooting. For as much as he impacts the game with his energy, speed, and playmaking, Westbrook doesn’t command any respect from the perimeter, especially now that his midrange jumpshot has deserted him.

Despite recent workout videos showing Westbrook nailing triples with a smooth stroke, Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst of ESPN, speaking on the Hoop Collective Podcast, implored the Nuggets not to let him take any threes whatsoever.

“I wouldn’t let him shoot any more threes ever again quite honestly,” Windhorst said.

ESPN's Tim Bontemps on the Nuggets: "Their 4th leading volume shooter was Reggie Jackson, who actually shot it pretty well… And they replaced him with Russell Westbrook, who is literally the worst volume 3-point shooter in the history of the NBA."

Brian Windhorst: "I wouldn't… pic.twitter.com/rWz6WJNGHn

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 12, 2024

Russell Westbrook is coming in to take the rotation spot of Reggie Jackson, whom the Nuggets traded earlier in the offseason and has since latched on with the Philadelphia 76ers. Westbrook is a high-risk, high-reward sort of player who can change games with the way he runs up and down the court and embraces the role of lockdown perimeter defender at this stage of his career, but Jackson, as Bontemps pointed out, is a much better three-point marksman.

“Their fourth-leading volume shooter was Reggie Jackson, who actually shot it pretty well. That’s the one thing he did well. They replaced him with Russell Westbrook who is literally the worst volume three-point shooter in the history of the NBA,” Bontemps said. “I mean, he shouldn’t shoot any.”

It will be interesting to monitor how the Nuggets make use of Westbrook’s helpful, albeit limited, skillset. But there is simply no way he should be coming in as a one for one swap with Jackson, as his playstyle is very different from that of the current 76ers guard.

Will Russell Westbrook reel in the three-point attempts with the Nuggets?

It was an unideal 2023-24 season for Russell Westbrook with the Los Angeles Clippers. He seemed to have gotten a new lease in life after signing with the team in February 2023, as he functioned as the primary playmaker on a team with a solid roll-man (Ivica Zubac) and plenty of shooters around them. But the Clippers’ decision to bring James Harden in relegated Westbrook to more of an off-ball role, something that quite frankly he isn’t suited to take on.

However, it’s fair to wonder just how much of a primary playmaker role Westbrook will be assuming for the Nuggets. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are going to command most of the touches for the team’s offense, as their two-man game remains the heartbeat of Denver’s offense. So how exactly will Westbrook fit alongside this dynamic?

As the 2024 NBA playoffs showed, putting Westbrook on the court alongside other ball-dominant players 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 against the Dallas Mavericks, weighing down the team in the process.

Given Westbrook’s track record as a shooter, fewer three-point attempts per game from him would be ideal for the Nuggets. But Denver better put him in a position where he wouldn’t be taking too many triples as well, limiting his minutes whenever his shot is off so as to not expose Westbrook’s greatest weakness while dragging the team down along with it.

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