Made history with Nikola Jokic the day before with their second joint triple-double achieved on the same evening, in the same season, Russell Westbrook lives again with the Nuggets, and he never stops thanking Mike Malone for allowing him to simply be himself.
“He was honest with me, and that’s all I needed,” explique Westbrook. “He told me what he expected of me. He wanted me to be myself. He wanted me to be Russ, to go out on the field and help others be the best they could be. He wanted me to bring energy and toughness. I tell you, this is just the beginning, and when we are fully healthy, we can be a dangerous team. »
The Nuggets are already dangerous since they climbed to 4th place, without Aaron Gordon, who has had two major spells in the infirmary since the start of the season. Mike Malone needed to make a few rants after shameful defeats, but overall, his players clearly meet his expectations, and in particular Westbrook.
Great efficiency for 10 matches
“I told him that I wanted him to challenge himself to be the best version of himself,” Malone reports. “Without wanting to offend his former coaches, it is not by placing Russell Westbrook in the corner that we take advantage of all of his qualities. We are trying to put the ball in his hands often this season.”
Clearly, if Westbrook maintains such a level of play, the Nuggets will have made one of the best picks of the offseason, and for 10 games, he is averaging 15.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game.
“Russell must be given a lot of credit,” concludes the Denver coach. “He came here trying to fit in, not trying to stand out. There are times when, watching them play together on the floor, he and Nikola are so in tune with each other. »
