Nuggets preseason debut could be sign Westbrook was right all along

LA Clippers fans knew that it was time for Russell Westbrook and the Clippers to go their separate ways this summer. After the team brought him on back at the February 2023 trade deadline, he was initially deemed to be one of the core members of the roster, right alongside Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

At least initially, that assessment proved to be accurate. Westbrook helped LA elevate for the tail end of the 2022-23 season, and made a big impact for them in the playoffs. It seemed that the Clippers were finally the place where Russ was going to work out, after the Lakers could not get the production they were hoping for out of him.

All was going according to plan, until the second week of the 2023-24 season when the Clippers made their blockbuster trade for James Harden. That move forced Westbrook back to the bench, whether it was a willing decision by him or not.

After the move to the second unit, Russ' overall impact declined. He still had his flashes, but his impact was not as consistent as the previous season, and it was noticeable. Many wondered if this could trigger the end of his time in LA, and we now know that it ultimately did.

Westbrook is thriving in a different role

Russ was not re-signed by the Clippers, and he ended up on a veteran minimum deal with the Denver Nuggets. Now, some prideful fans from both the Lakers and Clippers may claim that Westbrook is simply not himself anymore, and is no longer a useful rotation player. But what Russ has argued is that he was simply not put in a position to succeed with his last two teams at the time of his departure.

We are seeing that Westbrook may have been correct all along. It is just one preseason game, but the way in which Denver is using Russ has already shown to be massively helpful to maximizing his output. Against the Boston Celtics in Abu Dhabi, Westbrook 12 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three made three-pointers, all in just 19 minutes of action.

Once again, just a preseason game, but it is a pretty jarring example of the kind of overall impact Russ can still have when put in the proper position to maximize his talents at this point in his career. This is not to throw blame on the Clippers, because they simply knew they would be better off starting Harden at point guard over Westbrook.

But those Clippers fans who still support Westbrook should be thrilled to see this. Russ is playing alongside arguably the best player in the world in an offensive scheme that is allowing his playmaking to shine in a big way. If this trend continues, it would seem that his theory about himself was correct all along.