Brian Windhorst had a fairly harsh assessment of Russell Westbrook on the Denver Nuggets. Speaking on an episode of the Hoop Collective podcast, Windhorst noted that Westbrook’s dodgy track record as a three-point shooter would deter him from ever letting Westbrook shoot a three-pointer again.
“They [Nuggets] finished 25th in three-pointers made last season before KCP left… I wouldn’t let him shoot any more threes ever again, quite honestly.”
While Windhorst and his co-hosts’ words may seem unfair, there is good reason for Westbrook’s three-point shooting to be brought into question, especially considering how poorly the Nuggets shot from beyond the arc last season. Westbrook’s inability to shoot three-pointers will only cause further problems for the Nuggets.
The Nuggets replaced Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a well-known three-point specialist, with Westbrook, a player who is known for his weakness when it comes to shooting from beyond the arc. For a team that didn’t do well from the three-point line last season, it will be an interesting challenge for the coaches to work around him.
Last season, KCP shot 40.6% from the three-point line, and 36.9% for his career. As for Russell Westbrook, his numbers are significantly worse, shooting 27.3% from the three-point line and 30.4% for his career. His best three-point percentage came in 2016-17, with 34.3% from beyond the arc, which is below average at best by modern NBA standards.
The Nuggets replacing KCP with Westbrook is interesting, considering there is already a blueprint for why that is a bad idea. The Lakers did the same in 2021, trading Caldwell-Pope as part of the package to land Westbrook. The deal worked horribly for the Lakers, missing the playoffs that season.
How Will Russell Westbrook Perform For The Nuggets?
Russell Westbrook will be ready to prove how valuable a player he can be, even in this late stage of his career. After what was a disappointing stint with the Clippers, where he played well but had to take a back seat to star players like Paul George and James Harden, this will be his last chance to earn a massive pay-day next season.
It is currently unclear whether Westbrook will be a starter or come off the bench on the Nuggets. The coaching staff is definitely going to try and keep their plans close to the vest. It is a pivotal season for the Nuggets, and they need everything to go as smoothly as possible to ensure success.
Westbrook is coming off an average season, where he averaged 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. He mostly came off the bench for the Clippers but did provide some scoring boost to the team when needed.
The Nuggets as a franchise are already struggling for cohesion. It was recently reported that Michael Malone is not on the same page with the front office. One has to wonder whether the decision to sign Westbrook was one that the front office took despite Malone’s protests.
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