BREAKING: Nuggets can't lose sight of how Russell Westbrook masked a devastating flaw
Russell Westbrook masked the Nuggets' league-worst dribble penetration.
San Antonio Spurs v Denver Nuggets | Justin Edmonds/GettyImages
For as common as it is to downplay the impact that Russell Westbrook has on his teams, the Denver Nuggets relied rather heavily on him in 2024-25. The obvious manner in which they did so was by trusting him to lead an often absent second unit.
The more underrated manner in which Westbrook masked a truly atrocious flaw, however, was by acting as one of the few players who consistently attacked the basket.
It's difficult to criticize a Nuggets offense that enabled the team to finish at 50-32. Denver ranked No. 2 in eFG% and true shooting percentage, No. 4 in offensive rating and assist percentage, and had three-time MVP Nikola Jokic at the heart of everything they did.
All of that seems to paint the picture of a team that operates in a well-rounded manner on the offensive end of the floor.
Unfortunately, the Nuggets' greatest weakness played a significant role in their inability to overcome the early onslaught from the Oklahoma City Thunder during Game 7. Many pointed the finger at Westbrook, but the fact is that he was one of the only lines of defense against that weakness.
With Westbrook now out, the Nuggets will be forced to look externally for the resolution to their glaring inability to create consistent dribble penetration.
Russell Westbrook was a rare source of Nuggets drives
Denver finished the 2024-25 season ranked dead last in drives and points via drives. That statistic speaks for itself. The Nuggets weren't just bad, but the absolute worst team in the Association at creating dribble penetration.
With Westbrook now entering free agency and seemingly unlikely to return, the Nuggets will need to figure out a way to find external help with scarce internal options.
Westbrook accounted for 9.2 of the Nuggets' 35.7 drives per game in 2024-25. That production will be difficult to produce, especially when one considers that he accumulated that figure in 27.9 minutes per contest.
Thankfully for the Nuggets, Jamal Murray was the team leader at 11.1 drives per game and he's due back in Denver for the 2024-25 season. Unfortunately, he's all they currently have.
Third on the Nuggets' leaders in drives per game in 2024-25 was Jokic at 4.9. After him are Christian Braun at 3.5, Julian Strawther at 3.3, and Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. at 2.8. Those aren't necessarily bad individual numbers, but they reveal a troubling truth.
Some of those figures may improve in 2025-26, but it's hard to imagine anyone jumping from 3.5 or less to the 9.2 that Westbrook managed.
Furthermore, even if someone steps up to fill Westbrook's shoes, team-wide improvement remains necessary. Denver found out against the Thunder in Game 7 how jump shots and ball screens aren't enough when the chips are down, and how important dribble penetration truly is to erasing deficits.
With limited financial flexibility and trading resources, the Nuggets will now have to find creative solutions to a team-worst issue.