Just 16 months after winning the NBA championship, the Denver Nuggets are hoping to reestablish themselves as an elite team in the early going of this season.
They fell apart in the second round of last spring’s playoffs, as they lost three games at home and fell in seven games to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and their lack of depth was perhaps their biggest problem.
In an attempt to address that problem, they brought in the mercurial and polarizing Russell Westbrook, but he has struggled mightily in his first two games of the new year.
Per NBACentral, an anonymous NBA scout feels the Nuggets should cut Westbrook and that he should retire.
“They need to cut Russ. He can’t shoot. They have no spacing when he’s on the court. Teams are literally daring him to shoot and just crowding Jokic in the paint. And when he drives to the rim, he gets so deep and out of position that he can’t hit layups. Russ needs to retire. He’s not a good player anymore.”
An NBA scout says the Nuggets should cut Russell Westbrook and believes he should retire
“They need to cut Russ. He can’t shoot. They have no spacing when he’s on the court. Teams are literally daring him to shoot and just crowding Jokic in the paint. And when he drives to the… pic.twitter.com/WVlHDMYDc7
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 28, 2024
Not too long ago, Westbrook averaged a triple-double four times in five seasons, which is a feat that may never be duplicated, let alone surpassed.
But he has now played for five teams in six seasons, and his reputation dove quickly due to his multiple flaws.
He has always been a poor perimeter shooter, but his ability to convert layups has declined, and he is turnover-prone due to his frantic style of play.
He is now nearing his 36th birthday, and perhaps that scout is right in the sense of Westbrook not allowing his career to end on a bad note.
NEXT:
Fans React To Russell Westbrook’s Poor Start To Season
