Russell Westbrook is writing a perfect closing chapter with the Nuggets

Russell Westbrook is redefining himself on the Nuggets by doing the little things.

Nikola Jokic typically doesn’t get involved in the Denver Nuggets’ business at the ownership and front office level, so it raised a few eyebrows to see the three-time MVP go to bat for a free agent addition during an otherwise morbid offseason in Denver. As the Nuggets were losing a key starter in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope this summer just to save on payroll, Jokic had a potential veteran replacement for the backcourt in mind: Russell Westbrook.

Westbrook had been on six teams over the last seven years, and hadn’t come close to scoring at league-average efficiency (as measured by true shooting percentage plus) in any of them. He was just about the worst high volume three-point shooter in the league for a team that desperately needed shooting. It was easy to write off the Westbrook signing as another example of the Nuggets’ disastrous summer, and more evidence that all-time great players don’t make great GMs.

At least that was the case until Westbrook has slowly proven to be a valuable piece of Denver’s turnaround.

The Nuggets improved to 14-10 on the season — currently good for the No. 5 seed in the West — with a thrilling late night win over the Sacramento Kings on Monday. Denver was teetering on the brink of a humiliating defeat for most of the second half. It had led by as many as 23 points early in the game, but the combination of lackadaisical defense and inefficient scoring nights from Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray allowed the Kings to grab a 10-point lead with under four minutes to go in regulation.

Jokic was at the center of Denver playing perfect basketball down the stretch, as he always is. Westbrook’s fingerprints were all over the win, too.

The Nuggets’ comeback started with Westbrook rebounding a missed three, pushing the ball down the floor, and hitting Murray for a three. Then it was Westbrook cutting baseline without the ball, where Jokic found him for an easy layup. With the Nuggets down one a couple possessions later, Westbrook had an open look from three to be the hero … but wisely passed it up to hit Jokic inside, who made a little flip shot for the go-ahead bucket.

Westbrook finished with 18 points, 10 assists, nine rebounds, and three steals in the win. He logged 35 minutes of work on the night. With Westbrook in the starting lineup replacing the injured Christian Braun, Denver’s opening unit finished with a +17.7 net-rating.

There’s a reason Westbrook was available for the veteran minimum this offseason. At 36 years old, Westbrook remains an inefficient scorer. His conversion rate on two-point field goals has plummeted this season playing on a Nuggets team that still has poor spacing. When he takes a three-pointer, it’s still considered a win for the opposing defense. At the same time, Westbrook has provided positive contributions in his minutes by finally leaning into the role player aspects of his game rather than trying to be his old MVP self.

Westbrook’s impact this year on Denver comes back to his defense, his playmaking, and his energy. The Nuggets have found a way to “let Russ be Russ” while getting him to shoot at the least frequent rate of his career. He’s buying into the fact that this is Jokic’s team, and everyone else just has to play their part.

Westbrook is locking down on defense

Nuggets head coach Mike Malone talked about Westbrook’s underrated contributions on defense after the Kings win:

Westbrook has embraced taking on tough defensive assignments all year. He grades out as one of Denver’s best defenders in a variety of metrics. He’s a +1.3 in defensive EPM this season, ranking in the 87th percentile and putting him in the same vicinity as Lu Dort, Jaden McDaniels, and Jayson Tatum. He’s second on the Nuggets to Jokic in both defensive win shares and defensive box score plus/minus. He ranks 14th in the league in total steals (40) and sixth in steal rate (an impressive 3.1 percent).

Westbrook started to remake himself as a defender during his time with the Los Angeles Clippers. LA didn’t need him for his scoring with Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and James Harden around, but it did need someone who could defend high-powered opposing guards and push the ball in transition. Those skills have carried over to Denver. It might be the biggest reason Westbrook is still in the league at this point.

Give Westbrook the daylight to break up a dribble-handoff, and he’s still fast enough to get there. All these years later, a Westbrook “pick-six” still causes an endorphin rush.

Westbrook is still a hell of a run and jump athlete even at this point in his career. It’s a feel-good basketball story to see him take pride on the defensive end.

Westbrook knows how to play off Jokic in the two-man game

Westbrook knows he’s in Denver because Jokic wanted him. It seems that he’s accepted his best utility on offense is getting the big man the ball.

Westbrook has assisted Jokic 57 times this season, per NBA.com, which is the most of any Nuggets player by far. Jokic is shooting 58 percent off those feeds, just about the highest on the team, and shows that Russ knows how to get the ball to the best player alive in the spots where he likes to score:

Even as teams consistently go under ball screens on Westbrook, he still has enough speed to engage the opposing big and open up lanes for Jokic. The stud big man has never really played with an elite distributor before, and his soft hands and large catch radius has made him an easy target for Westbrook’s feeds this year.

Getting the ball to Jokic should be a simple assignment on paper, but it isn’t as easy as it seems with the entire opposing defense pinching down on him given Denver’s lack of shooters. You have to credit Westbrook for fitting the ball through tight windows to set up scoring chances.

Westbrook is currently 17th in the league in total assists this season. His assist rate of 33.9 percent ranks No. 15 in the league. His 12.1 assists per 100 possessions ranks No. 7 in the league, one spot behind Jokic. On a per-minute level, his playmaking has been pretty close to elite this year, and it’s helped keep Denver’s offense afloat while it’s still dead-last in the league in three-point rate.

Westbrook’s energy has been essential for Denver

The Nuggets were a slow team last year, finishing No. 26 in pace. Westbrook figured to help in that department this season, and he has indeed provided a noticeable difference, helping them jump all the way up to fifth.

Denver’s pace improves from 99.12 to 102.8 with Westbrook in the game. With Russ on the bench, the Nuggets would rank No. 17 in pace. With him on the floor, they’d rank No. 5.

Westbrook hasn’t lost his burst even in middle-age. He’s able to turn on the jets any time he has open floor in front of him, and for the most part he’s spraying the ball out to open teammates.

The Nuggets need Westbrook’s good vibes to last

Denver just doesn’t have much margin for error with this team. Jokic does everything for this franchise, but at the end of the day the game is still played 5×5, and the quality of each team’s weakest link always gets exposed in high leverage games.

The Nuggets have always lacked shot creation around Jokic, and that’s one area where Westbrook is really helping. It’s odd to think of Westbrook as a connective player when he’s entire career has been defined by a ‘Russ against the world’ mentality. He’s mellowed just enough late in his career though that he’s really been a quality glue piece for Denver thus far.

Westbrook is getting his teammates easier shots. He’s helping replace some of what the defense lost with Caldwell-Pope’s departure. He’s also getting a stagnant team moving in ways that didn’t seem possible after last season.

Westbrook is going to be part of big games for the Nuggets this season, because he’s been pretty good, and because Denver doesn’t have better options. For now, he’s rewarding their faith, and giving us feel-good chapter late in the career of one of the best guards of his generation.