On August 27th, the Denver Nuggets' official Twitter account posted a photo of Russell Westbrook wearing a Nuggets training jersey, captioned: "Nice fit, @RussWest44." This follows an earlier incident where Westbrook reportedly inquired about wearing the No. 0 jersey for the Nuggets, only to be rebuffed by Christian Braun, the current holder of the number. To ease the awkwardness surrounding Westbrook’s choice of jersey, the Nuggets shared this training photo on social media.
Farewell, Forever No. 0. Retirement Is Your Most Dignified Goodbye.
In terms of hierarchy, Westbrook could have easily "taken" the jersey number from Braun. After all, Westbrook is the NBA's all-time triple-double leader, a 9-time All-Star, 9-time All-NBA Team member, 2-time scoring champion, and 3-time assists leader. Braun, on the other hand, is just a second-year player. Braun's refusal might reflect a belief that his current status in the Nuggets' pecking order is higher than Westbrook's. The Nuggets signed Westbrook to a veteran minimum contract, possibly out of sympathy for his recent struggles in the league.
The harsh reality is that Westbrook's value in the league has been declining over the past seven years, during which he played for six different teams. His reputation has steadily eroded, especially after leaving the Lakers, where teams seemed to steer clear of him. Even his move to the Nuggets wasn’t smooth. Reports suggested that Westbrook would join the Nuggets after a buyout with the Jazz, but the deal was delayed for several days, indicating the Nuggets may have hesitated until they ran out of better options.
Rather than enduring the indignities of the twilight of his career, bouncing from team to team and being disrespected by younger players, it might be wiser for Westbrook to consider retirement. After all, the Nuggets aren’t likely to bring him a championship.
The Nuggets' current roster is not as strong as the one that won the championship in 2023. They lost key players like Jeff Green and Bruce Brown, and this offseason, they let go of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Their plans to shore up the bench took a hit when rookie DaRon Holmes suffered a season-ending Achilles injury. Additionally, the team's salary cap is strained, and Jamal Murray's performance has dipped. All these factors suggest that the Nuggets are not as formidable as they were during their championship run.
More importantly, Westbrook’s playing style doesn’t fit well with the Nuggets' system. The Nuggets' strength lies in the pick-and-roll between Nikola Jokic and Murray, which produced 1.13 points per possession last season, ranking second among all duos with at least 500 pick-and-rolls. This success is largely due to the floor spacing provided by shooters like Michael Porter Jr. and Caldwell-Pope, along with Aaron Gordon’s off-ball threats. The Nuggets aren’t likely to give Westbrook the ball-handling duties he needs to thrive, nor will they let him disrupt the starting lineup’s spacing.
The bench doesn’t seem like a better fit either. Braun shot just 22.2% from three in the playoffs, while Peyton Watson shot 25.0%. Adding Westbrook to the mix would further congest the court, making it easier for opponents to collapse their defense.
Given his experiences with the Lakers, Westbrook should carefully consider his future. Perhaps it’s time for him to say goodbye to the league, ensuring that his legacy remains intact.
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