The Russell Westbrook Experience left us nauseous.
As he stood in the corner, the clock near zero, Westbrook stared at the official in disbelief. His desperate fly-by resulted in a foul. Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s subsequent free throws resulted in a Nuggets’ double-overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night.
Get angry, Nuggets fans. You have permission. The Nuggets ran their losing streak against their rival to six straight games. And Westbrook, though not alone, was largely responsible. In the span of 14 seconds, he made it clear why his role must be reduced in the postseason.
Westbrook delivered a brain freeze not seen since the days when J.R. Smith was wearing a jersey with two miner hammers.
Yes, it was that bad. Inexplicable. At the worst possible time. With the Nuggets white-knuckling a 139-138 lead with 14.2 seconds remaining, Westbrook stole an errant pass.
He raced forward because he only plays in one gear. Once he crossed halfcourt, Westbrook faced a choice: Head to the bucket or eat clock. It was an easy decision. And he did the opposite.
He should have dribbled to the corner, slowed the pace and waited until Nikola Jokic, who scored a career-high 61 points, caught up. Zip him the ball, force Minnesota to foul with six seconds remaining, and walk off in triumph.
Instead, Westbrook fired the ball to Christian Braun at the 3-point line. Braun volleyed it back to Westbrook and he missed the layup. Four passes later, Anthony Edwards found Alexander-Walker wide open and Westbrook jumped into the path, his right arm and hip brushing up against him for the whistle.
Want to argue that it was a weak call? Fine. What is not up for debate is that Westbrook’s final sequence was awful,
“Knowing Russ the way I do, he’s probably going to feel like a lot of this is on him,” coach Michael Malone said. “We lost. The Denver Nuggets. We, as a collective group, lost the game tonight. Not one player.”
This is coach-speak. And totally understandable. But Westbrook has played too well for too long to make this kind of mistake. Especially after Jokic put the team on his back with the third 60-point triple-double in NBA history.
“You’ve got a 2-on-1 break. As a coach, am I up on the sideline yelling, ‘Don’t go’? I mean, we’ve got a layup. But it’s easy to say that in hindsight because we missed it. And they ended up getting three free throws. That was a really crucial stretch of the game,” Malone said. “I’ll address Russ individually. But he’s a pro. He’s a warrior. He’s a tough kid. And I think he knows that everyone in that locker room has got his back.”
Behind those closed doors, Malone must have a difficult conversation with Westbrook that extends beyond the final 14 seconds. When everyone is healthy – Jamal Murray sat out for ankle maintenance and Michael Porter Jr. missed because of a family issue – Westbrook has to be a sparkplug off the bench.
That’s it. Nothing else.
As a former MVP, Westbrook spent the bulk of his career putting up triple-doubles and drawing statistical comparisons to Wilt Chamberlain. In big moments over the last month, he has conjured images of Will Barton.
For someone who is an easy Hall of Famer, Westbrook lacks situational awareness.
It’s unthinkable. And uncomfortable. Malone has to play him less than the 29.2 minutes he is averaging per game over this current 11-10 stretch. Not as punishment. It is what is best for him and the team. Give Jalen Pickett some run. Use Peyton Watson a little more.
He plays every possession like he is settling a grudge. It is what makes fans love him – the effort, the energy – but it left Nuggets Nation calling for him to be blasted into the sun after his latest mistake.
Yes, this has happened before.
Remember the end of the Washington game? Westbrook failed to close out on scalding-hot Jordan Poole, who nailed a 35-foot 3-pointer.
Tuesday’s loss was confirmation of two things: The Nuggets would not own the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference without Westbrook’s contributions, and they can no longer keep asking this much of him. Not if they want to reach the Western Conference Finals.
Westbrook is needed in sips. Not gulps. The more Westbrook plays, the more he erases his own benefits. He needs to be on the court with Jokic to maximize his impact on cuts and drives to the lane. And that is easier to do in spurts in the postseason because Jokic rarely comes off the floor.
The eye test makes it obvious an adjustment is necessary. The statistics reveal it.
Since the All-Star break, Westbrook is shooting 41 percent from the field and 33 percent from beyond the arc (on 100 attempts). Worse, he is the rare ballhander who does not shoot well from the free-throw line, checking in at 62.5 percent since Feb. 22.
Even more damning are the empty possessions. For all of the praise of his passing – it is deserved at times, especially in a recent win at Houston – Westbrook has 81 turnovers to 124 assists in the second half of the season. Beyond the Nuggets’ maddening defense, it helps explain his minus-77 rating over the past 21 games.
There are those who will argue that the Timberwolves needed an out-of-body performance by Edwards to track down and beat Denver. That it was a positive sign that the Nuggets accepted the challenge from Malone to meet the moment.
Blah. Blah. Blah.
The Nuggets are not about moral victories. They are seeking another championship. And there’s no chance that happens without Malone cutting Westbrook’s minutes.
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