The Denver Nuggets were on top of the basketball world less than two years ago, but it’s certainly not been all roses and sunshine behind the scenes lately. The Nuggets fired head coach Michael Malone on Tuesday, and The Athletic reports that some players were upset about the special treatment he gave Russell Westbrook.
“All the while, Malone’s choice to continue supporting Westbrook, despite the frustration he was causing on and off the floor, led to a loss of credibility among the team’s key players. It was one thing when Malone handled Jokic and Murray with more leniency than the rest of their group, but affording Westbrook that sort of treatment, even with his Hall of Fame credentials, wasn’t received well by some.”
Players understand that the top dogs will be treated differently. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are the two best players for the Nuggets, and them getting some special treatment is something their teammates would expect.
As for Westbrook, well, his getting it to would have been acceptable 10 years ago, but not necessarily now. He is averaging 13.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game for the Nuggets in 2024-25.
Westbrook certainly has gone down as one of the greatest guards of his generation, but he’s past his peak now. His teammates wanted him to be held accountable and not coddled when he made mistakes, and that wasn’t happening.
“That dynamic intensified recently, starting with Westbrook’s meltdown against Minnesota on April 1 in which his late-game blunders cost Denver the win and spoiled Jokić’s 60-point triple-double. After a brutal Jokic turnover late in a loss to Indiana on Sunday, when he and Westbrook miscommunicated up top and the big man’s pass flew out of bounds, Malone defended his veteran point guard in a way that was seen by some as a shot at the team’s young talents.”
Malone had stated that, unlike some players on the Nuggets, Westbrook knows what big games are about. All this appears to have rubbed some the wrong way.
It wasn’t just the players who had a problem with Malone favoring Westbrook. It was reported that he and GM Calvin Booth, who was also fired, clashed over the former MVP. Booth wanted young Jalen Pickett to play over Westbrook, but Malone refused to do so. It’s been reported that he even had a vendetta against Pickett, just because he had been drafted by Booth, with whom he was clashing.
Booth’s wish is being fulfilled now by interim head coach David Adelman. Pickett played 31 minutes in Wednesday’s 124-116 win over the Sacramento Kings compared to 17 for Westbrook. It will be interesting to see if the sophomore continues to be favored over the veteran moving forward.
Russell Westbrook’s Future With The Nuggets Uncertain
Westbrook’s tenure with the Nuggets got off to a pretty good start, but things have started to go wrong now. The two-year, $6.8 million deal they signed him to this past offseason looked like a bargain for a while, but according to The Athletic, he might not be with the team for much longer.
“In Wednesday night’s 124-116 win over the Sacramento Kings, Adelman benched Westbrook down the stretch of the fourth quarter, choosing instead to close with Pickett. Westbrook has a player option worth $3.4 million to return to the Nuggets next season, but league sources say his future with the organization is uncertain.”
The Nuggets can easily part ways with Westbrook thanks to that salary. You wonder if they do go that route, as Malone is no longer in the picture. The 36-year-old will have some opportunities to show the Nuggets that he’s worth keeping around, and the next one will be against the Memphis Grizzlies at Ball Arena on Friday at 9 PM ET.
