The addition of Russell Westbrook to the Denver Nuggets did not immediately pay dividends in the Nuggets season opener, but that is not concerning to head coach Michael Malone.
After the departure of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who signed with the Orlando Magic in the offseason, Denver signed Russell Westbrook, a former MVP and surefire Hall of Famer, in hopes he would be able to give the Nuggets’ bench a spark.
Things did not go well for either Westbrook or Denver in Westbrook’s first game as a Nugget, though. In 21 minutes of action off of the bench against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Westbrook’s old team, he went 2-for-10 from the field, including 1-for-6 on three-pointers, 1-for-4 from the free-throw line, and recorded a game-worst -24 plus-minus in the 102-87 loss.
Despite that, Malone said he was confident in the team’s bench unit, which featured three different players with plus-minuses of -13 or worse.
“I think Russ and Jamal [Murray] have the potential to be really good together,” Malone said, via DNVR Sports’ Harrison Wind.
“The more they play together, the more comfortable they’re going to get playing off each other.”
Nuggets struggling to get back to championship level
Not too long ago, the Nuggets were on top of the world, having won an NBA Championship and looking like a potential dynasty in the making. But after a few key departures, Denver is struggling to find the magic it had during a dominant 2023 playoff run.
Following Bruce Brown’s signing with the Indiana Pacers in the subsequent offseason, the Nuggets remained in the hunt for the top seed in the Western Conference all year long last season. However, Denver fumbled it in a late-season loss to the San Antonio Spurs, giving the Thunder the No. 1 seed. And while the Nuggets would eliminate the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs, the five-game series win took multiple heroic efforts and clutch shots to avoid losses.
In the second round, the Nuggets collapsed in Game 7 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, who overcame a 20-point deficit in Denver to advance to the Western Conference Final. The series would prove to be the last as a Nugget for Caldwell-Pope, who signed with Orlando after Denver was reportedly hesitant to exceed the second apron with a multi-year extension for Caldwell-Pope.
Malone even mentioned the loss of Caldwell-Pope in his post-game press conference last night, which may give credence to the rumors that Malone and the front office are not seeing eye-to-eye.
“Going into the season, shooting was a concern of mine,” Malone said. “You lose a guy like KCP, who’s a 40% 3-point shooter…”
Michael Malone after the Nuggets' opening night loss to the Thunder: "Going into the season, shooting was a concern of mine. You lose a guy like KCP, who's a 40% 3-point shooter."#MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/PwBr6sngCN
— DNVR Nuggets (@DNVR_Nuggets) October 25, 2024
Despite the absence of Caldwell-Pope, who has been replaced by Christian Braun in the Nuggets starting lineup, the bigger concern for Denver is likely the play of Jamal Murray.
When the Nuggets won the NBA Championship in 2023, Murray played like a bonafide All-NBA player, effectively lifting pressure off of Nikola Jokic’s shoulders. During Denver’s playoff run in 2023, Murray averaged 26 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists on 47.3% field-goal shooting and 39.6% three-point shooting.
Since the beginning of last season’s playoffs, though, Murray’s play has been erratic. The guard’s efficiency dropped across the board in the postseason, and his slump even continued into the Olympics, where he shot just 29% from the field and 14% on threes as Canada failed to medal. Last night, Murray struggled again; he went 4-for-13 from the field in a 12-point, 4 assist performance.
The Nuggets, especially with the loss of Caldwell-Pope, one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA, will need Murray to return to form if the team wants to lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy once again.
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