What Fans Forget About Russell Westbrook, According to Michael Malone

Although Russell Westbrook has had a remarkable basketball career and is likely to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer upon his retirement, he has faced some criticism in recent years. Critics have accused him of prioritizing his personal statistics over the success of his team and have labeled him as somewhat uncoachable.

Now playing for the Denver Nuggets, the reigning NBA champions from just 15 months ago, head coach Michael Malone has addressed one of the major critiques of Westbrook: his defensive abilities.

Malone noted that Westbrook took on the challenge of guarding the opposing team’s top player last season, according to NBACentral. With his athleticism and fierce competitive spirit, Westbrook has the potential to be a strong defender; however, he has often been viewed as a liability defensively.

Some observers allege that he tends to shorten defensive possessions and abandon his assignment to chase rebounds, presumably to enhance his statistics and achieve triple-doubles.

While Westbrook may not be the prolific scorer he once was—averaging a triple-double in four out of five seasons—he still possesses the capability to bolster what was a struggling Denver bench last year.

The Nuggets recently lost starting shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to free agency, a departure many believe will impact the team, especially given their reliance on teamwork and synergy to secure the championship in 2023. With this context, the Nuggets will count on Westbrook to inject energy and pace into their game as they aim to reclaim basketball’s ultimate prize.