Russell Westbrook spoke about his goals with the Denver Nuggets during their media day. He noted that his ambitions haven’t dulled down, despite being in a smaller role now. He intends to bring the intensity whenever he’s on the court and aims to help the team win games whenever possible.
“I never gonna change who I am. I’m not going to change anything about me. My intensity, I think that people confuse intensity with competitiveness. When I’m off the floor, I don’t wanna be walking around shaking hands, (and) kissing babies. I don’t really wanna do that. I’m there to, excuse my language, kick some ass.”
Westbrook seems motivated and ready to start the new season on the right foot for the Nuggets. Westbrook is expected to be the backup point guard behind Jamal Murray, as he comes off the bench and gives the second unit the injection of energy they will need.
Westbrook has shown during his time with the Lakers and the Clippers that he is willing to come off the bench to help the team and also does a great job in reinvigorating the team with his high effort and intensity whenever on the court. While Russ isn’t the guaranteed triple-double All-Star he once was, he can be a valuable piece on a championship team.
For Westbrook, this opportunity with the Nuggets will be his chance to show the Lakers and the Clippers who he is and what he can contribute after both teams spurned him and relegated him to a lesser role in favor of a bigger star player. But Westbrook will also want to show the league that he still can play a big role on any given team.
Michael Malone: Westbrook Could Close Out Games
Despite Westbrook being expected to come off the bench for the Denver Nuggets, head coach Michael Malone believes Russell Westbrook could be a valuable piece to close out games in the lineup. He explained how Westbrook was guarding the opposition’s best guards last season in the final moments of the game, and that is a reason why he would consider putting Russ in the closing lineup.
“When people talk about Russell Westbrook, nobody mentions defense… End of games last season, he was guarding the opposing team’s best player.”
“So you have a guy that you can close games within Russell Westbrook, who knows the league, knows personnel. Has the respect of the officials and has a competitive, ‘I’m gonna get in your sh*t’ mindset that I love.”
Westbrook will be thrilled to hear the belief and support his teammates and members of the Nuggets organization have shown in him. Russ has spoken in the past about being ostracized by his franchise, coaches, and teammates, and how that affects his mentality, so to have this support will be a great boost to his morale.
Westbrook is the replacement for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who joined the Magic as a free agent. While Russ is far from the shooter Caldwell-Pope was, he can make up for his absence with some high-energy play and strong defensive efforts.
Russell Westbrook will be eager to reward this faith they have shown him with some strong performances and a consistent level that can help the Nuggets get back to championship contention after a poor run in the playoffs last year.
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