UcanUwill wrote:Ssj16 wrote:cupcakesnake wrote:I'm intrigued. Westbrook had some very positive stretches for the Clippers last year. He did things on defense and as a screener that he'd flat out refused to do most of his career.
He posted his lowest turnover rate ever, and curbed his tendency to jack a lot of pull up threes. He took way more shots closer to the basket. He's really not a good scorer (or obviously shooter) but he can come in and give Denver a different look with his athleticism and passing. Find MPJ some clean looks.
The Nuggets have to be a bit creative at this point.
This is where I am at as well. I don't know if I can call this a success or failure right away but I think that it is a high risk, high reward move that's necessary by the Nuggets.
Hes 36 in November, been questionable for years now, flamed out of playoffs maybe worse than anyone else this season.
Its low risk move that hopefully works in positive way, instead of crash and burn like its been with him for both LA teams now, where is high reward. Athleticism based very low IQ player at age 36 years, and its Westbrook, and its another off season we try to sell ourselves into this nonsense.
All we can hope its positive piece in any way, just stop with high reward chances, its 2024.
I've always been a Westbrook skeptic, even when he was in his prime. I loudly criticized moves to acquire him, especially Houston and both LA teams.
I'm not calling this a great signing for Denver. I'm just saying I'm intrigued. This Nuggets team has been such a zero in terms of bench productions the past 2 seasons. The starters (who play with Jokic) have massive on-off ratings (+5 to +20), the bench guys are the inverse (-8 to -21). Their best bench players only play well when paired with Jokic. They don't do enough on their own.
Russ has always done too much. From looking off Durant, to stealing rebounds from Steven Adams, to needing Houston to trade away all its centers who got in the way of his game, to not being able to fit with AD and Bron...the ask has always been for him to do less and fit in better. He kind of did it with the Clippers for stretches last year. In the twilight of his career he's finally shown an interest in defense and screening. However, coming off Denver's bench, I think they'll take his chaotic creation over the big nothing burger they've been dining on these past years.
Like you say, he's 36 and athleticism dependant (still a freakishly good athlete at this age). I wouldn't be surprised if the wheels fell off, or if injuries started being a problem, or if Russ just ends up being a different kind of net negative for them. But it's a low risk chance, and I feel this could be the right context for Russ.
Even playing with the starters, the Russ I watched for the Clippers could do some Aaron Gordon style offense for the Nuggets. He was a hungry cutter for the Clips, who looked for opporunities to use his burst and attack gaps off the ball. It didn't mesh with Harden at all, but that style would work with Jokic.
I'm not betting on this going well. I'm just... intrigued! Could be weird and fun and might work.
