Nuggets president Josh Kroenke recently discussed the team’s decision to sign former league MVP Russell Westbrook to a two-year deal, Bennett Durando of The Denver Post relays.
As Durando notes, Westbrook is on track to play for his fifth team in six years. In a reduced role as a reserve for the Clippers last season, the 35-year-old averaged a career-low 11.1 points and 4.5 assists, along with 5.0 rebounds and 1.1 steals, across 22.5 minutes per game.
“I got a chance to meet him for the first time right after he signed, and as I said to him, I’m very grateful that he’s on this side,” Kroenke said. “Because I’ve watched him kind of tear our hearts out for so many years in Oklahoma City, among other places. So he’ll be a really good person for us to have, both on and off the court, with some of the young guys who we’re expecting to take bigger roles this year. Russ has seen it all, in and around the NBA, so he’s gonna be a big part of who we are both in the locker room and on the court.”
There’s more out of the Northwest Division:
- Nuggets three-time MVP center Nikola Jokic remained underappreciated in his home country prior to this year’s Olympics, according to assistant coach Ognjen Stojakovic, who suggested that Serbia’s bronze medal helped boost Jokic’s stock even higher. “Generally, the first thing I notice is that our people weren’t aware of how great a basketball player Nikola is, how good he is,” Stojakovic said in an interview with Milun Nesovic of Meridian Sport (hat tip to Eurohoops.net for the translation). “Simply, if you don’t win something with the national team, you’re not valued as much as those who have, regardless of your success elsewhere. Nikola did win silver with Serbia in Rio, but he didn’t have as significant a role as he (did in Paris). My opinion—people are only now beginning to realize how great a player he is.”
- Jazz point guard Collin Sexton recently asserted that he is a top-10 player at his position and is capable of breaking into the top five. “I put myself against anybody,” Sexton said on the “It Is What It Is” podcast with hosts Cam’ron, Ma$e and Treasure “Stat Baby” Wilson (YouTube video link). “At the end of the day, I don’t back down from nobody. I got a different type of chip on my shoulder. I got a different type of grind. When I step between those lines, it’s me against you.” Last season with the 31-51 Jazz, Sexton averaged 18.7 points per game on a .487/.394/.859 shooting line, chipping in 4.9 assists per contest.
- In case you missed it, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was voted the favorite to be named 2024/25 league MVP in a poll of NBA coaches and executives. Last year, the 6’6″ All-Star finished second in MVP voting to Jokic.
Sexton is the classic good numbers on a bad team guy
Serbia doesn’t know Jokic is best center in NBA …
That means best in world ….. catch up.
Maybe if Sexton played D. And actually took his team to playoffs. We might listen. It’s all noise
Thing is… Outside of the US whenever a US citizen says “Best in the world” the rest of the world goes “did you even leave your street when doing that research?”
Sexton has no quit in him. I also applaud his confidence! He would put up good numbers on any team that gave him minutes.
His defense has gotten better since being on the Jazz. It’s just bad timing that the Jazz need to tank for real this year, and possibly next.
It’ll be interesting to see him on a roster that isn’t a rebuilding team. Plus, he’s only 25 and missed a year. In other words, it’s too soon to tell what he fully will be.
I do really love his passion for the game. He’s a fun player and person!
Benboy , agree with you, Sexton is a gamer and reliable scorer. But, as a combo guard, Sexton is without a doubt a poor defender — not as bad as in his early years at Cleveland, but still bad enough that a contending team would never start him at the 2. And he’s too ball dominant to be a PG on a contending team.
Sexton has value only to teams that need scoring off the bench, but at an inflated $18M/yr for 2 more years, he’s stuck in Utah. It’s the same problem as with John Collins at $28M/yr for 2 more years. If those contracts were cut in half, they’d be tradable. As is, they’re likely to be buy-out candidates for a rebuilding team this February.
That’s what I’ve realized as well. I think he’s the perfect change of pace 6th man. He can get anywhere on the floor. He’s faster on the break than pretty much anyone. He has the ability to change the momentum on any game.
He just needs long athletic defenders around him to help compensate for his lack of height.
Although, he has been more aggressive with steals and staying in front of his man. If the team can use more trapping defenses then that could also help him on defense.
I have appreciated Sexton’s intensity ever since I saw the 4th quarter of his college 4-on-5 game.
Legendary stuff, for sure! Although, it was 3 on 5 and he still scored 40!! He has def has the motor of a champion!