Inside The Nuggets

Michael Malone's Russell Westbrook Statement After Nuggets Practice

Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone spoke on Russell Westbrook.
Joey Linn|
Nov 2, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone speaks before the game against the Utah Jazz at Ball Arena.
Nov 2, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone speaks before the game against the Utah Jazz at Ball Arena. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

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Denver Nuggets

When the Denver Nuggets signed 17-year veteran Russell Westbrook in free agency this summer, they knew pace would be one way he could help the team. While pace alone does not directly translate to improved offensive play, it can certainly be one way to increase shot quality.

Ranking 26th in pace last season, the Nuggets are currently 9th in that category this season. While Denver’s overall offensive efficiency is a bit down from a year ago as they continue working through rotations, head coach Michael Malone likes the pace he has seen.

“We’re playing at a much higher pace than we have the last number of years,” Malone said after Thursday’s practice. “Everybody is gonna say, ‘Oh, that’s Russell Westbrook.’ It’s not just Russ. He’s a big part of that. But everybody else is running as well.”

As was the case when he arrived with the LA Clippers, Westbrook was able to inject a level of increased intensity and pace that expanded beyond what he does individually. Crediting the veteran guard for a big part of what Denver has done to increase its pace, Malone also said the entire team is running, not just Westbrook.

While the Nuggets fell to the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, as they were without Nikola Jokic, the team ranks fifth in offensive rating over the last six games, and subsequently sixth in pace during that stretch.

Westbrook is a big part of this, but as Malone noted, his approach has also impacted the rest of the team.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.

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