UCLA Bruins Legend Has Added Shocking Wrinkle to His Game

Former UCLA Bruins star Russell Westbrook has developed a critical aspect of his offensive repertoire with the Denver Nuggets.

Nov 23, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook (4) reacts to a play during the third quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Former UCLA Bruins star Russell Westbrook got off to a rather rough start with the Denver Nuggets this season, and it was beginning to look like more of the same from the former MVP.

But recently, Westbrook has turned up a special portion of his game that never even really consistently existed in the past.

He is hitting three-pointers.

Westbrook is shooting 38.3 percent from beyond the arc this year, which is, by far, a career-high. For reference, his lifetime best percentage is 34.3 percent, which he achieved during his MVP-winning campaign with the Oklahoma City Thunder back in 2016-17.

For even more juxtaposition, Westbrook is a career 30.5 percent shooter from deep.

So, what exactly has happened to cause the veteran's sudden uptick in long-range efficiency? Whatever changes he has made, he needs to maintain them.

Funny enough, Westbrook is only shooting 39.4 percent from the floor overall in 2024-25, but his surprising marksmanship is allowing him to establish a significant — and productive — role in the Nuggets' rotation.

Take Nov. 25, for example, when the 36-year-old poured in 27 points while going 4-of-7 from distance in a loss to the New York Knicks.

He also made four treys in a Nov. 22 defeat at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks.

Denver lost those games, sure. But Westbrook draining 3-pointers — and doing so regularly — is a massive development that could pay major dividends for the Nuggets moving forward.

Heading into Denver's Wednesday night matchup with the Utah Jazz, Westbrook had logged five straight double-digit scoring efforts, which came after he had registered three such outings total over his first 11 contests.

Westbrook's ability to space the floor this season is having a very positive overall effect on his game, and it also appears to be giving him more confidence.

Given that Westbrook's athleticism has clearly waned over the years, he absolutely needed to add another wrinkle to his offensive arsenal.

Accurate three-point shooting has never been a hallmark of the UCLA legend, but he can certainly extend his NBA career if he begins to make it a daily attribute of his game.

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