Denver Nuggets’ interim head coach David Adelman has made a strong admission about Russell Westbrook’s role with the team.
The firing of Michael Malone has led to a lot of talk in the NBA community, especially after reports emerged one of the reasons behind the decision being the former coach giving Westbrook more minutes than some young players.
However, the former MVP has continued putting in good performances for the Denver Nuggets as he dropped 14 points off the bench in a crucial game against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Westbrook was one of the players who closed the game and this proved to be instrumental as he executed a play where he blocked a shot from rookie Zach Edey and displayed some great defensive resilience to get the win for the Nuggets.
Nikola Jokic‘s 26-points, 16 rebounds and 13 assists meant that he would become only the third player in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season.
In what was a key game for the Nuggets, all the players stepped up, but coach Adelman gave Westbrook his flowers and made a strong statement about his role on the team.
Westbrook only had 10 points in the game against Sacramento and was not in the closing lineup.
But that changed in the game against the Grizzlies as he came out all guns blazing and became the game changer that led the turnaround.
Speaking about Russ, Adelman said: “I said it before the game, we gonna finish with the five guys who are playing well, mistakenly people said I didn’t play Russ in Sacramento, that wasn’t the case.
“I played the five people who I thought could win the game and what do you know, Russ played pretty well tonight so who finished tonight, Russ.
“You got to do what you got to do to win games and this is not about an individual person or trying to make a narrative about this guy or that guy, that’s not what this is, this is about just trying to win the game, so really proud of Russ.”
Westbrook is one of the most athletic point guards in the NBA and despite his age he brings a lot of energy on the court.
He often gets criticised and has been on the receiving end of hate from even his own fans several times.
However, what makes Westbrook special is his ability to bounce back and the leadership he brings to the Nuggets is what they need.
Jokic undoubtedly is one of the best players in the league, but he is not as vocal as Westbrook and it is vital to have someone on the team who can communicate.
Westbrook has expressed how grateful he is to the Nuggets for offering him a chance to play on the team and despite the adversity he will be looking to play well for them in the playoffs.
He has been on the biggest stage several times and performed extremely well there, having him on the side in the playoffs is going to be key to their chances.
There will be concerns regarding their morale, but that is where Westbrook’s presence could prove to be the difference as many have lauded his leadership before.
