Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Russell Westbrook should keep starting for the Nuggets

With Aaron Gordon back in action for the Nuggets, he will eventually reclaim his starting role. The player who should move down to sixth man is Christian Braun, not Russell Westbrook. 

The Nuggets’ record is 13-4 in games Westbrook starts, and he’s having his best season since 2020-21 when he was a Wizard.  Even in year 17, his athleticism is comparable to Gordon’s as the best on the team. His burst is a perfect combination for Nikola Jokić to run two-man actions with. Consider this: Westbrook has more assists (88) to Jokić than Jamal Murray (67) this season, per NBA Stats. While he has played in six more games than Murray, it’s undeniable how valuable an extra high-level ball handler is next to Jokić. 

On the flip side, Jokić has delivered the most helpings (45) to Westbrook and next on the list is Murray (12) and Julian Strawther (9). 

Using more of Westbrook is good for Murray, too. The latter has not been himself this season as he deals with nagging injuries, yet remains dangerous on the catch, logging a 58.4EFG%. If the rock is in Russ’ hands, it’s easier for the defense to lose Murray because it is hard to see the ball and man when there is a lot of movement. Until his health turns a corner in 2024-25, being more of an off-ball player is what he needs.

Also, Westbrook is logging an effective field goal percentage of 62.6 on shots less than 10 feet. His frequency from that spot is 53.4%, and a good chunk of these buckets come in transition, too.

Giveaways will always be a concern and this season he is logging his worst turnover percentage (19.0) of his career, per Basketball Reference. Furthermore, his 3-point and free throw percentage are not good (starter numbers- 29.5, 60.3), Yet, his assist-to-turnover ratio is decent at 2.4, and the threat of breaking down defenders inside the arc and getting past them on cuts, far outweigh the cons.

His defense has been sharp this season as well. Opposing guards are shooting 43.8% when defended by Westbrook, per the NBA’s tracking data. And he is still a nice pound-for-pound rebounder, as he is recording 6.9 as a starter.

He impacts a game in too many ways and deserves to keep his spot.

More on Braun:

CB moves well without the ball and has made an impressive leap this season. He is one of the team’s best defenders, too. But his shooting off the catch has drastically cooled off to a 51.9 EFG% from 70.2 on Nov. 28. Additionally, his handle and playmaking are not as strong as Westbrook’s.