The Denver Nuggets have begun to find their groove this season and one man could be playing a crucial part – it’s not Nikola Jokic.
Following their 139-120 win over the Atlanta Hawks the side increased their unbeaten run to three games despite coach Michael Malone expressing his defensive concerns.
One man who has stepped up for the side lately has been the superstar Russell Westbrook, he secured another double-double in the win over the Hawks with 16 points and 11 assists.
Westbrook recently made NBA history following a triple-double against a struggling Utah Jazz and his displays appear to show a long-awaited return to form.
There can be no denying that the sudden drop-off in the career of Westbrook came as a surprise to fans, players and coaches across the NBA.
The 36-year-old NBA veteran was dropping abnormal numbers in his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder but his career has seen a steady decline since leaving the team in 2019.
He was named the league MVP in 2017 and has no fewer than nine All-Star appearances to his name, however, he hasn’t received a call-up since 2020.
His time with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers was far from fruitful but it appears he may have found his groove in Denver.
Westbrook has been breaking records for fun and the Nuggets now have a 9-2 record with him starting, considerably better than the combined 46-47 record as a starter in LA.
While Westbrook may still only be averaging 12.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 6.6 assists this season his numbers are certainly on the way up, music to the ears of both Nuggets fans and Westbrook himself.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone recently told the media that he would ‘go to war’ with Westbrook and praised his lack of ‘ego’ while remaining tough on the court.
Playing alongside 3-time NBA MVP winner Jokic is never going to be a chore for any player but the connection that Westbrook has built with the Serbian appears to be helping him thrive.
The pair put up a combined 39 points against the Hawks and were effortlessly setting up give-and-goes to one another all evening.
Jokic was recently critical of his performances but it appears the pair are helping elevate each other’s games.
Speaking to the media on the pair’s connection Westbrook said: “He’s the best player in the world [Jokic], my job is to make the game easier for him as he does it for everybody else so it’s a pleasure to be able to share the floor with him.”
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