3 Russell Westbrook lineups that can revive Nuggets and his career

The Denver Nuggets' offseason has been the subject of a great many criticisms.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope left in free agency and the Nuggets didn't really target a replacement. Even if you're supremely confident in Christian Braun as the next-in-line starter, who replaces Braun in the second unit? There will be Julian Strawther truthers out there, but the simple fact is that Denver has now cheaped out of two key pieces in back-to-back summers — Bruce Brown a year ago, and now KCP. Both were essential to the Nuggets' 2023 title run.

Caldwell-Pope is a truly monumental loss. He's one of the best defensive wings in the NBA and his 3-point shooting was a natural boon next to Nikola Jokic. Moreover, the Nuggets didn't really make any serious upgrades in the offseason. Their new backup center, DaRon Holmes, tore his Achilles in his Summer League debut. Their other new backup center, Dario Saric, does not project well in the playoffs, which has been the source of consternation these last couple years.

The only other major addition to the Nuggets' rotation is Russell Westbrook, who arrives with no shortage of skeptics ready to celebrate his downfall. His last season with the Los Angeles Clippers was an abject failure. Russ appeared to grow anxious about his small role despite not performing very well in it. Scoring efficiency is a huge question mark for Westbrook at this stage of his career and he's generally one of the worst defenders on the floor every night.

Alas, Nikola Jokic vouched for Westbrook and it's clear the Nuggets were targeting him from the beginning. If you don't overthink it, yeah, there are a few appealing elements to this addition. Westbrook supplies athleticism and rim pressure that did not previously exist in the Nuggets backcourt. He can change the tempo of a game and put a ton of pressure on defenses in transition.

Denver's backup point guard situation was not great last season. Westbrook isn't worse than Reggie Jackson. We have counted out Westbrook before and been collectively proven wrong. So, hey, maybe this works. Here are a few lineup combinations that could play to Westbrook's unique strengths.

3. Denver's guard trio

• G: Russell Westbrook
• G: Jamal Murray
• G: Trey Alexander
• F: Aaron Gordon
• C: Nikola Jokic

Denver isn't really set up to field a great defense, so why not lean into the speed advantage Westbrook provides and just out-score teams? We have seen more and more three-guard lineups take root in the NBA. More than ever, the league is predicated on skill at every position.

This lineup surrounds Westbrook with ample shooting and ample playmaking. Westbrook may view himself as a natural point guard, but at this stage, it's unwise to leave the offense fully in his hands. Westbrook has limited off-ball value — both because he can't shoot and because he stubbornly refuses to cut or move without the rock — but even still, he is best served in a secondary role. Let Westbrook attack rotating defenses off the catch and grab-and-go off of rebounds. In the halfcourt, Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic can steer the ship.

Trey Alexander went undrafted in June and signed a two-way contract, so his inclusion here probably reads as overly optimistic. In any case, the fit is clean. Alexander has tremendous length for a guard, he's a knockdown 3-point shooter, and he was comfortable oscillating between on and off-ball duties at Creighton. He's in a position to quickly ascend the pecking order in Denver and potentially earn a full-time contract before the season is out. The Nuggets would benefit tremendously from a backup guard who can score in bunches and defend half decently.

Jokic and Gordon are the traditional anchors and should probably be on the floor as often as possible when Westbrook is out there. Jokic is a tide lifting all boats; Gordon is Denver's best perimeter defender and a critical ancillary scorer in his own right.

2. Small-ball Nuggets

G: Russell Westbrook
G: Jamal Murray
F: Christian Braun
F: Michael Porter Jr.
F: Aaron Gordon

If the Nuggets want to hand Westbrook the keys, so to speak, and use him when Jokic takes a seat, expect a fair amount of Nuggets small-ball this season. We have seen Aaron Gordon at the five spot in each of the last two playoff runs. It is a look Denver is comfortable with, even if success tends to vary whenever Jokic hits the pine.

Gordon can serve well enough as an emergency rim protector and switchable big. Christian Braun and Jamal Murray would handle the primary defensive assignments on the perimeter, while Westbrook and Michael Porter Jr. are more or less hidden on that end of the floor.

Offensively, there's every reason to believe this lineup can flourish. Murray helps share the playmaking burden with Russ, while Gordon's ability to run the floor and finish vertically pairs nicely with Westbrook's up-tempo approach. This Nuggets lineup can run, run, run, whereas Jokic lineups tend to plod a bit more. That's not to say Jokic doesn't have transition value of his own — we will see plenty of Jokic-to-Westbrook outlet passes this season — but Gordon can run alongside Westbrook on the fast break while Porter, Braun, and Murray hang behind for trailing 3s.

This is an exceedingly fun lineup on paper. The defensive concerns without a 7-footer are severe — rebounding is going to be a problem, even with Russ hogging boards — but in terms of pure entertainment value, this lineup sets the stage for the Westbrook of old to emerge. He will never reach those MVP heights again, but Russ can still rollick down the lane with the speed and brute force of a bowling ball. Surround him with enough shooting and a group that has established, winning chemistry, and it won't be all bad.

1. Nuggets starting five, with a twist

G: Russell Westbrook
G: Jamal Murray
F: Michael Porter Jr.
F: Aaron Gordon
C: Nikola Jokic

This is probably the best way to insulate Russ. Keep him tethered to the starters. It would be completely unsurprising if Denver's first sub in a lot of games is swapping Braun for Westbrook, allowing the nine-time All-Star to join forces with the Nuggets' core. The fit is stronger than it was in Los Angeles, so there's a chance that Westbrook gets by on reputation, even if he's not scoring proficiently or defending at a high level.

The Nuggets' offense lacked a real kick beyond Nikola Jokic in the playoffs. Jamal Murray has been hurt all summer, even going back to the 2024 playoffs. When he's right, Murray is a vibrant source of self-creation, but we haven't seen the best version of Murray in a while. Westbrook can apply rim pressure, collapsing a defense and kickstarting ball movement. He's still a very willing, if selective passer, and again, the transition element is there. Jokic loves to toss hit-ahead passes to a teammate sprinting up the sideline. Westbrook is built for that job.

It will be fascinating to see how the Jokic and Russ two-man game unfolds after the former went to bat for Westbrook this summer. We have never heard reports of Jokic lobbying the front office for a player until Westbrook came into view. It's hard to imagine Jokic caring about basketball activities during his off-time. It's even harder to understand what drew him to a player whose style has been so antithetical to Jokic in recent years.

I am inclined to trust Jokic's judgment. We all ruled out Russ after his one-year sojourn in Houston, then he took the Wizards to the playoffs. Russ bombed with the Lakers, but there were meaningful stretches of good with the Clippers, even if the James Harden trade made the fit too complicated in the end.

Russ is an extremely flawed player in the twilight of his career. Denver fans certainly should not raise the bar too high when setting expectations. That said, there is still some credence to the idea that Westbrook's athleticism and attack mentality can help a team's second unit. If he's going to succeed anywhere at this stage of his career, it's probably in Denver next to the three-time MVP.