When the Denver Nuggets signed Russell Westbrook, it was met with skepticism and questions about how he would fit. After an adjustment period, Westbrook put those questions to bed and helped swing Game 7 of the first round of the playoffs. He even played through an injury to his shooting hand by the end of the playoffs that he just recently had surgery on. All in all, it was a good year for Westbrook with some very explainable issues.
Let’s review Westbrook’s 2024-25 season:
Regular Season Performance
Westbrook spent the bookends of the season as a bench player and the middle of the season as a starter. He initially struggled adjusting to life on the Nuggets bench, though much of that can be explained by early Dario Saric minutes and heavy bench lineups featuring Michael Porter Jr. as the staggered starter. Once Denver figured out how to emphasize Westbrook’s strengths though, he thrived, setting the table for Nikola Jokic, shooting open corner threes with consistency, and staying aggressive driving and cutting to the paint. Westbrook had multiple triple-doubles as a starter and helped the Nuggets win games by assuming playmaking responsibilities where few others could.
He was so good that Michael Malone at one point called Jokic and Westbrook the “best two-man game” in the league. The Nuggets had an amazing December and January when Jokic and Westbrook were on the floor together, and their chemistry helped Denver win games, especially with Murray struggling early or out due to injury.
Unfortunately, a hamstring injury suffered in late January held Westbrook out until after the All-Star break, and he was forced to re-learn bench duties after that. It was a worse situation for him, with turnovers and usage going up while efficiency went down. Throughout it all though, Westbrook was an impactful defender and played with effort and an attitude that the Nuggets mostly lacked during the second half of the year.
Playoff Performance
Westbrook was a clear impact player for the Nuggets in the first round against the Los Angeles Clippers. He closed games for Denver, made plays on both ends of the floor, including a massive shot to help Denver win Game 1. His five steals in Game 7 were a major factor in demoralizing the Clippers, and Westbrook’s energy was palpable throughout that series.
Against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Westbrook started the series well with 37 combined points in Games 1 and 2, including the game-winning assist to Aaron Gordon in Game 1. Unfortunately, Westbrook’s scoring dried up in the final five games with just 32 combined points on 11-of-42 from the field. While his defense remained impactful throughout, it wasn’t quite enough to provide the impact the Nuggets needed to win Games 4, 5, or 7.
With the latest medical update on Westbrook, a surgery to repair two torn ligaments in his shooting hand certainly provides ample context for why some of the shooting struggles happened at the wrong time. It’s too bad, because Westbrook was great for the Nuggets when he needed to be, but the shooting dried up at the wrong time. Perhaps this was a significant reason why.
Best Game – 16 points, 5 assists, 5 steals in Game 7 win vs Los Angeles Clippers
Key Quote
“My job for this team is to bring my energy, bring my competitive spirit, nature, whatever that may be. I think I told y’all this after game one and excuse my language for my kids but to go in and fuck shit up and that’s what I did.”
– Russell Westbrook after the Game 7 win vs the Los Angeles Clippers
Player Grade: A-
I went back and forth between A- and B+ for this grade but will stick with A- due to the added context of shooting hand surgery from this week. The fact is: Westbrook was a minimum contract signing who the Nuggets asked to play 28 minutes per game across 75 games. That was probably too much, but that’s not Westbrook’s fault. He did everything he could to be impactful throughout the season, force feeding Nikola Jokic at times when Jokic needed to be aggressive, getting Christian Braun active in transition, and setting the table for shooters frequently, all while taking challenging defensive assignments.
The Nuggets relied heavily on Westbrook in both the regular season and playoffs, and he largely stepped up relative to expectation. Expecting him to be the one to lift Denver against the 68-win OKC Thunder is a bridge too far, but Westbrook’s regular season contributions and first round playoff series were more than enough to earn a grade in the A range.
Contract Situation
Westbrook has a player option worth roughly $3.5 million heading into the 2025 offseason. If he opts in, he will be one of the most affordable backup point guard options in the entire NBA. If he opts out, the Nuggets may have trouble retaining him if a team shows interest and decides to offer more money than Denver can.
What’s Next for Westbrook?
Westbrook has played in the NBA for 17 years. He’s still got some juice and probably won’t be calling it quits this offseason, but that’s always a concern when you get closer to TWENTY years of league service. If he decides he wants to return to Denver, he will have the inside track for Denver’s first guard spot off the bench.
As the Nuggets transition to a new head coach in David Adelman and potentially a new set of expectations as a team, it’s fair to wonder if they need more shooting in a backcourt that already features Christian Braun. Denver’s lack of outside shooting hurt them on more than one occasion, and while Westbrook consistently helps in every other area, perimeter shooting is still below average.
For now though, expect the Nuggets to be very open to the idea of Westbrook returning, perhaps with some addition bench reinforcements to reduce the workload for the veteran point guard.
