An Anonymous Scout: Westbrook No Longer Elite, Nuggets Should Cut Him and He Should Retire

The Denver Nuggets, who were considered title contenders before the season, currently have a 0-2 record, a situation that has once again made Russell Westbrook the scapegoat. But this is not entirely unfair.

In the past two games, the 35-year-old Westbrook has averaged 4.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.5 blocks, and 1 turnover, with a shooting percentage of only 11.1%, a three-point shooting percentage of 11.1%, and a free-throw percentage of 50.0%.

This future Hall of Famer has a -37 plus-minus rating this season. An NBA scout believes that the Nuggets need to take decisive action.

“They need to cut Westbrook,” an anonymous NBA scout told media outlet Hoops Wire. “He can’t shoot. He’s a non-existent floor spacer. Other teams’ strategy is almost to let him shoot and then pack the paint around Jokic. When he drives to the basket, he goes too deep and can’t finish effectively. Westbrook needs to retire; he’s no longer an elite player.”

The Nuggets signed Westbrook to a two-year, $6.8 million contract in July. Westbrook’s salary for this season is $3.3 million, and he has a $3.5 million player option for next season.

As the NBA’s all-time triple-double leader, Westbrook averaged 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.3 blocks while shooting 45.4% from the field, 27.3% from three-point range, and 68.8% from the free-throw line during his time with the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2023-24 season.

Last season, after the Clippers acquired James Harden from the Philadelphia 76ers, they had to persuade Westbrook to accept a bench role. According to ClutchPoints reporter Tomer Azarly, this process was not easy.

This summer, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post, three-time MVP Nikola Jokic expressed support for the Nuggets signing Westbrook, but so far, this move does not seem to be paying off.

If Westbrook struggles again in upcoming games and the Nuggets lose to the rebuilding Toronto Raptors, Denver’s situation could become even more dire.

As one of the top players in NBA history, Westbrook has career averages of 21.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 8.1 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.3 blocks. He has played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, and Clippers, and won the MVP award in the 2016-17 season while with the Thunder.