After falling short of expectations a year after winning their first NBA Championship, the Denver Nuggets are trying to bolster a roster that fell short of expectations this season. One way the team appears to be doing so is by adding former MVP Russell Westbrook, which depending on what role he occupies, could be a good or bad move, according to Skip Bayless and Paul Pierce.
With reports surfacing that Westbrook was being traded by the Los Angeles Clippers and bought out by the Utah Jazz, it also became clear that Westbrook would be heading to Denver. Three-time and reigning MVP Nikola Jokic reportedly pushed for Westbrook to join him and the Nuggets, and Paul Pierce said on FS1's “Undisputed” this week that he was in favor of the move.
“He gives them off-the-court leadership,” Pierce said of Westbrook. “I kinda look at it like a Jason Kidd role in Dallas. Jason Kidd, he wasn't Jason Kidd at the time, but he was so valuable at the time as far as leadership and plays and defending multiple positions like Russ can do. I feel like this is a great fit.”
Pierce went one step further, though, which drew strong reactions from fans and fellow media members.
“I would make him as a starter. … I like this move with Russ right there as a starter with Jamal Murray at the 2 & 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,” Pierce said.
Skip Bayless reaction to Paul Pierce's Russell Westbrook-Nuggets suggestion
While the Nuggets now have a starting position vacant with the departure of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for the Orlando Magic this offseason, Westbrook taking that spot may cause some issues offensively for the Nuggets, who have developed one of the most lethal one-two pairings in Jokic and point guard Jamal Murray. The duo dominates the ball for the Nuggets — they accounted for 45.2% of the team's total assists this past season — and it doesn't seem wise to take the ball out of their hands much.
Skip Bayless agrees.
“Just to be clear about this, if the Nuggets do what Paul Pierce suggests, and start Russell Westbrook at point guard, it will be a DISASTER,” Bayless posted on X, formerly Twitter. “… and Joker will soon be saying privately, ‘What was I thinking?'”
If the Denver Nuggets have Jokic, they are probably going to be just fine. Jokic is the best player in the league and can likely help lift the Nuggets to their second title if given the right supporting cast again, but it remains to be seen if Westbrook's playstyle can fit with Jokic and Murray.
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