Michael Malone’s Honest Russell Westbrook, Jamal Murray Statement

Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone spoke on his two point guards.

Oct 26, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) gestures ahead of guard Russell Westbrook (4) in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Jamal Murray has been one of the better starting point guards in the NBA ever since his second year in the league, as he's averaged 19.0 points and 5.1 assists per game since then. The downside of Murray has been his availability as of late, with the former Kentucky Wildcat failing to play more than 66 games in a season since 2018-19 (missed all of 2021-22).

While Denver has relied on players like Monte Morris in the past to fill the void in Murray's absence, they decided to make a move this offseason to bring in former MVP Russell Westbrook to be the leader off the bench and the replacement for Murray when he's sidelined.

Prior to the Nuggets' 120-98 win over the Los Angeles Clippers, head coach Michael Malone talked Westbrook's ability to fill in for Murray.

Nov 23, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone speaks to media prior to a game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

"Yeah, knowing that Jamal is not gonna play 82 (games)," Malone said. "You love to think that all your guys are gonna not miss a game and play 82, but when you sign a guy like Russell Westbrook who at this stage of his career is coming off the bench in LA - and Jamal is gonna hopefully play 75 games, but when you know he's going to miss games to have a guy that's a proven starter. And I love Russ' impact on the game and I love how well he and Nikola (Jokic) are playing with each other and off of other each other."

Malone added, "So, yeah, that was definitely part of the allure of signing a guy like Russell Westbrook. When Jamal is out and you need a starting point guard where you have a guy that's done it at the highest level for 17 years."

Lefty dime from Russell Westbrook. Sheesh pic.twitter.com/ObbPrTsYbD

— Matt Brooks (@MattBrooksNBA) December 14, 2024

So far, the signing of Westbrook has paid off for the Nuggets. When filling in as a starter, he's averaged 14.2 points, 8.4 assists, and 5.2 rebounds on 52.1% from the field in the five instances.

Related Articles

Nikola Jokic Makes NBA History in Nuggets-Mavericks

Nikola Jokic Makes Strong Russell Westbrook Statement

Latest Update on Denver Nuggets Potentially Signing Ex-Lakers Player