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The Denver Nuggets lost another key member of their championship core.
Losing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope could be a huge blow for Mike Malone’s team, not only because of his defense and shot-making but also because of how he meshed perfectly in that starting lineup.
It’s not easy to find a player with a similar profile, and the Nuggets simply decided not to do so.
Instead, they addressed their big need for a backup point guard by reportedly going after Russell Westbrook.
Notably, NBA analyst Amin Elhassan believes this could be a huge move for the Nuggets.
Talking on SiriusXM NBA Radio, he argued that he could bring back that fire the Nuggets need to get back to the mountaintop.
“When you’re joining a championship team, you need a veteran that hasn’t won one to remind everybody ‘I need this.’”@DarthAmin tells @TheJaxShow Russell Westbrook joining the Denver Nuggets is a good move for both sides. pic.twitter.com/rGQPJRkGSe
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) July 21, 2024
He states that Westbrook won’t only provide a boost of energy but also a sense of urgency, being a proven veteran who hasn’t won an NBA championship yet and that will push them to get back to their winning ways.
The Nuggets could choose to start Christian Braun to replace Caldwell-Pope and give Julian Strawther an expanded role to have Westbrook coming off the bench, and that seems like the most realistic scenario.
Then again, with Jamal Murray not being a traditional point guard and Nikola Jokic being their de facto playmaker, they could also have Westbrook starting in the backcourt if need be.
The Nuggets’ title window is still wide open, and Westbrook, a future first-ballot Hall of Famer entering the backend of his career, might finally get the ring he deserves.
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