Boston Celtics Legend Urges Denver Nuggets to Start Russell Westbrook

Should the Denver Nuggets start Russell Westbrook?

Apr 4, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Russell Westbrook (0) hangs on the rim after a dunk over Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. (1) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Nuggets have officially announced the signing of nine-time NBA All-Star Russell Westbrook. Backed by Nikola Jokic, this addition gives the Nuggets a lot of what they have been missing, from ball handling help, point of attack defense, transition play, and more.

While Westbrook appeared primarily off the bench for the LA Clippers last season, Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce believes he should start in Denver. During a recent episode of Undisputed, Pierce revealed why Westbrook should start for the Nuggets.

"I would make him as a starter," Pierce said. "... You can throw Jamal Murray at the two... Jamal Murray is a natural born scorer. Now you got playmaking from Russ and Jokic... I like him as a starter. You can give him 28-30 minutes. I like that... I like this move with Russ right there as a starter with Jamal Murray at the two."

Pierce added, "I think that [the Nuggets] can still make some noise as a contender as long as [Nikola Jokic] is still playing at an MVP level."

In 37 career starts for the Clippers (including the playoffs), Westbrook averaged 16/7/6 on 46.4% from the field and 35.0% from deep. Westbrook's most recent NBA start came in a win over the Phoenix Suns without James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, and the veteran point guard recorded the only 15/15/15 game in Clippers franchise history.

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