Denver Gazette beat writer Vinny Benedetto takes you around the NBA and inside the Nuggets locker room:
NBA Insider
Days like Monday are why Russell Westbrook has been worth every penny the Denver Nuggets have paid him this season.
“I’ve been in the league a long time, and the toughest practices are after an off day,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said.
“So, now you’re trying to herd cats to get these guys to understand the urgency and importance. When you have a guy like Russ, who’s going to lead with his voice, but also he’s your hardest worker in practice, and he’s doing everything with detail and holding other guys accountable when they’re not, you can’t put a dollar sign on that. That’s so invaluable for a team with as many young players and impressionable players as we have. (I’m) constantly grateful and thankful for everything that Russ is doing for us on and off the court.”
At 36, Westbrook credited his ability to bring it on a daily basis more to the mental side of the game.
“It’s just appreciating the value of the game of basketball. It’s something I try to teach to my AAU kids, my own kids, understanding not taking the game for granted, a practice, a game for granted. My mentality every night is to leave it on the floor. The next game is not promised to you by any means. That’s the mark I want to leave on the game. Missing and making shots is all a part of the game,” Westbrook said.
“My energy and my effort always has to be there, and I pride myself on doing that now for 17 years. I’m grateful and blessed to be able to be able to do that. Yes, I do take care of my body. Yes, I do do the things to prepare myself, but mentally I start my mentality from when I wake up for game time to make sure my mind is right to be able to give that to my teammates. I feel as a professional athlete and as a player on the team, you have a duty to be able to show up every night, and I want to be able to give coach Malone somebody he can always count on and know exactly what he’s going to get from me. As player, I want to be able to do that for my teammates as well.”
That mindset coupled with his averages of 12 points, 6.6 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals is making his $3.3 million cap hit quite the bargain for the Nuggets. Westbrook has played in all 34 games to start the season and has added value as a spot starter when Jamal Murray or Aaron Gordon have missed games. While the shot has come and gone in his first season with the Nuggets, the energy has been constant.
“He gets the respect of the officials. He has a high IQ, and he’s going to leave it on the floor,” Malone said.
“I want competitors. I want guys that are going to give a second effort, a third effort, a fourth effort, whatever it takes. Here he is, 17 years in, still playing just as a hard as he did when he was a rookie, which is just truly incredible.”
The extra minutes have helped Westbrook better understand what the team needs from him daily.
“Now I know where I can be helpful, beneficial, (offer) more help where guys or what we need more at. I think now is just the start of it, at least for me,” Westbrook said. “Whatever it is that’s needed from me, I do that.”
What I’m Thinking
Julian Strawther has the right approach to be a player the Nuggets can depend on when it matters most.
After an injury disrupted his rookie season, Strawther’s been an every-night option for the first time this season.
“I’ve definitely got to see some ups and downs, but just trying to grow with every opportunity that I have,” Strawther said. “The staff is throwing me in the fire each and every night regardless if I’m playing well or not, so just being able to grow, learn and understand that everything won’t go just how I thought or planned. It’s an opportunity to get better each and every day.”
After playing a little more than 10 minutes per game over 50 contests as a rookie, Strawther has played in every game this season. His minutes have jumped to 21 minutes per game. The increased playing time has allowed Strawther to learn he can lean on his ability to get to the rim or his floater when his 3-point shot isn’t falling. Defensively, he’s trying to do a better job contesting shots without fouling, something that limited his minutes early in the season. The defensive side is still where he feels like he has the most room to grow early in his career.
“(It’s) trial and error. I feel like each and every day, I’m getting a bit better at it. You’ve got to just guard in the games. Yeah, you’ll get beat every now and then, but it’s an opportunity to learn and grow. I be trying to tell myself that I’m 22 years old and things aren’t going to be just perfect every time I step on the floor,” Strawther said.
“I’m working.”
That’s a good foundation for a young player who looks likely to be a part of Denver’s playoff rotation.
Peyton Watson steps up to help Denver Nuggets split weekend series with Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs
What They’re Saying
Malone put his hand up prior to Saturday’s game in San Antonio. The Nuggets’ coach took sole responsibility for not calling a timeout when he had one available in the final seconds of Friday’s loss to the Spurs.
“Ultimately not calling that timeout falls only on one person,” Malone said prior to Saturday’s win. “That’s my job as a head coach. … Call the timeout, advance it, and you never know what’s going to happen. You score, you get fouled, you try to extend the game as much as you can, and, obviously, we missed an opportunity last night to do that.”
Monday, Malone was more concerned with limiting the quality of Boston’s looks from 3-point range. The Celtics are taking more 3s than any other team this season.
“They’re going to get 50 up. That’s just how they’re wired. But I think it’s the quality of the 3 that they get up,” Malone said. “You cannot be down the floor, inside the 3-point line in transition. In pick-and-rolls, you cannot be down the floor.”
What I’m Following
– Calvin Booth had a gift for Malone after Monday’s practice. After most of the players had exited the gym, Booth and Stan and Josh Kroenke presented Malone with a framed jersey with “433” on the back, a celebration of Malone breaking Doug Moe’s franchise record for coaching wins.
– Aaron Gordon won’t play in Tuesday’s game against Boston, but Malone said his starting power forward was able to participate in portions of Monday’s practice. Denver’s coach said it was too early to tell whether Gordon could be available for Wednesday of Friday’s games. Gordon hasn’t played since straining his right calf in the Nuggets’ loss to Phoenix on Christmas Day.
– Nikola Jokic was named Western Conference Player of the Week for the second time this season. Boston’s Jayson Tatum won the Eastern Conference honor.
– It looks like Dallas will be without its two best players when Denver comes to town for a couple of games. Luka Doncic is expected to miss both contests with a calf strain, while Kyrie Irving is expected to miss a week or two with a bulging disc in his back that’s expected to sideline him for a week or two. Denver plays two games against the Mavericks in three days, starting Sunday.
– The Heat handed Jimmy Butler a seven-game suspension for multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team. Butler served the first game of the suspension Saturday against the Jazz. He’s eligible to return for Miami’s game in Denver on Jan. 17.
Kickin’ it with Kiz: Why Jimmy Butler would be perfect trade target for the Nuggets … if calendar read January 2019.
The List
At least one sportsbook thinks Jimmy Butler could end up in Denver. BetOnline had the Nuggets with the fourth-best odds of being Butler’s next team. Here are the top five potential landing spots for Butler, per the book.
1. Golden State Warriors (1/2, -200)
2. Houston Rockets (4/1)
3. Dallas Mavericks (5/1)
4. Denver Nuggets (7/1)
5. Oklahoma City Thunder (8/1)
