Russell Westbrook has a lot of respect for Nikola Jokic but he isn’t interested in hearing about any comparisons between them. After Thursday’s game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Denver Nuggets, Westbrook was asked about playing against Jokic, who was termed a triple-double monster like him.
“Well listen, ain’t nobody like me,” Westbrook said. “Ain’t nobody like me. We’re gonna stop that right there. Nobody like me. Nikola is a hell of a player, but he’s not me and I’m not him. Obviously, I don’t know if he’s won MVP twice, maybe one, twice? A tough guard, excellent passer, knows how to play the game the right way, competes every single night. Tonight we got the best of him.”
Russell Westbrook was asked about fellow triple-double monster Nikola Jokic:
“Well listen, ain’t nobody like me. Ain't nobody like me. We’re gonna stop that right there. Nobody like me. Nikola is a hell of a player, but he’s not me, I’m not him. Obviously, he's won MVP, a tough… pic.twitter.com/uTOn3SyQcO
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 5, 2024
Westbrook also praised Jokic’s IQ and stated he plays with great pace for a man that size. The former MVP wanted to make it clear though that he isn’t a fan of any comparison between them as he believes there is no one like him.
You obviously do get the comparisons because of all the triple-doubles, though. Westbrook is the NBA’s all-time leader in them with 198 and has averaged a triple-double in four different seasons (2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, and 2020-21).
Jokic, meanwhile, has never averaged a triple-double for a season but does rank fourth all-time in them with 129. He recorded that 129th triple-double in the game against the Clippers, finishing with 36 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Despite Jokic’s incredible performance, LA came away with a 102-100 win to improve to 48-28 on the season. Westbrook, for his part, had 12 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block on the night.
While I don’t see Jokic averaging a triple-double for a season in the future, there appears to be a fairly decent chance he will surpass Westbrook in them at some point. The Serbian has recorded 24 triple-doubles this season after putting up 29 of them in 2022-23. You’re maybe looking at him needing four seasons to pass the Clippers guard if he keeps this pace up, which isn’t unreasonable.
The Clippers Are Winning Again Following Westbrook’s Return
Westbrook missed 13 games in March after fracturing his left hand, and the Clippers had a 6-7 record in them. They were in a bit of a rut, and Paul Pierce felt it was because the Clippers had no leadership without Westbrook.
While some may disagree, Westbrook’s return did seem to have galvanized the team a bit. The Clippers have a 4-2 record in the six games he has played in since returning. They haven’t played like the juggernaut that they appeared to be during the first half of the season but things have gotten better at the very least.
This latest win over the Nuggets came without Kawhi Leonard as well which is a positive, but there are now some serious concerns about his health. Leonard had been relatively healthy this season and the timing for this knee injury which he has suffered couldn’t have been much worse.
If Kawhi isn’t at his best or misses the first round of the playoffs entirely, we might be looking at another early playoff exit for the Clippers. It was really his injury that doomed them in the first round against the Phoenix Suns last year, and you hope Leonard recovers in time for the postseason.
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