Just one week ago, the Nuggets made drastic changes before the postseason. Denver fired head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth.
After firing Malone, Denver won three straight games to finish the 2024-25 regular season. With a 50-32 record, the team is fourth in the Western Conference. The Nuggets have a first-round playoff series vs. the Clippers. FanDuel’s Chandler Parsons said Denver should start Russell Westbrook in the playoffs.
Can the Nuggets win a playoff series without former head coach Michael Malone?
Chandler Parsons thinks Denver should start Russell Westbrook against the Clippers
“They were the best team in the NBA with Russ in the starting lineup…come a playoff series, I’m playing Russell Westbrook.”
(🎥 @RunItBackFDTV )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 14, 2025
Thirty-six-year-old Russell Westbrook is in his 17th professional season and first with the Nuggets. Since the 2019-20 season, Westbrook has played for five teams. In 2024-25, he played in 75 of Denver’s 82 games and made 36 starts. From December 27 to Janurary 31, Westbrook started 20 consecutive games. Denver went went 13-7 in those 20 games. Ahead of the 2025 playoffs, FanDuel’s Chandler Parsons had a hot take.
The former NBA player said the Nuggets need to start Russell Westbrook in the postseason. Westbrook has 122 games of playoff experience under his belt. That is valuable for the Nuggets who have an interim head coach for the playoffs. David Adelman might not start Westbrook, but he will likely play him in heavy minutes. Russell Westbrook has seen it all in the NBA and Denver needs him to help elevate the team.
In 75 games this season, Westbrook is averaging (13.3) points, (4.9) rebounds, (6.1) assists, and (1.4) steals. David Adelman would have to tweak Denver’s lineup to give Russell Westbrook the start. Even if Westbrook doesn’t start, he can come off the bench and play big minutes. For his career, Westbrook averages (36.7) points per game in the playoffs. We’ll see how much run he gets for the Nuggets in the first-round series vs. the Clippers.
