Annual salary of 3.3 million, No. 1 in the playoffs defensive league! Become the team leader, you are very close to the championship

After the first three matches of the fourth group of the playoffs semi-finals, they were all in a big 2-1 state. In the eastern part of the world, the two favorites to win the championship, the Cavaliers and the Celtics are temporarily behind their opponents 1-2, but the difference is that as the series deepens, they have gradually reduced their mistakes, and the stars have all stood up. In essence, there is a gap in strength between the Knicks and the Pacers and the Celtics. In the western part, the Timberwolves led the Warriors 2-1, and the Nuggets led the Thunder 2-1. The Timberwolves were the only semi-final team to protect their home advantage. The Thunder, who scored 68 wins and 14 losses in the regular season, suffered a Waterloo in the Nuggets. Alexander relied too much on free throws and had no ability to shoot long shots, which became the biggest shortcoming.

And the Nuggets team is very magical. In the first round of the Clippers series, they are just not favored. Changing coaches at the end of the regular season is a taboo on the battlefield. But what is even more surprising is that Murray, Gordon and others, who performed in the regular season, stepped forward and greatly increased the team's ceiling when Jokic was taken care of by his opponents. But there is another person who is easily overlooked, that is Westbrook. In the regular season, Westbrook averaged 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game, and in the playoffs, he averaged 14.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Especially in the Clippers series, Westbrook averaged 13.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, with a shooting percentage of 43.3% + 41.9% in both events. He was even elected as the MVP of this round of series. With an annual salary of 3.3 million, Westbrook gradually became the team leader, and the Nuggets are getting closer and closer to the championship.

From a set of data, according to statistics from the US media, the player with the best shooting percentage of his opponents this season's playoffs is Westbrook, with the shooting percentage of the opponents being only a pitiful 31%, the second place Mitchell Robinson 34%, the third place Horford 34.2%, and the fourth place Jaylen Green 35.4%. It can be seen that Westbrook is at the off-level leading level! In fact, at the end of the regular season, Westbrook once became the scapegoat of the Nuggets and was the target of public criticism. Former head coach Malone was fired, and Denver media revealed that it was because Westbrook was given too much time and did not give young people a chance. In the final stage of the regular season, Westbrook made a total of 19 mistakes in the 4 games, and the Nuggets lost to the Timberwolves + Spurs + Warriors in a row. In the words of the reporters with the team, Westbrook should bear the responsibility!

Make a layup and play timer, pass the ball and turn it into an anti-fire gun, send a three-pointer foul without looking at the situation, etc., which has attracted criticism from the media and fans! But in the playoffs, Westbrook is actually one of the best players in the Nuggets! In the first round, he played against the Clippers G1, and he intercepted and defended at critical moments, with continuous rebounds and assisted Jokic to score three-pointers; Westbrook scored 21 points and led the team to win, including the tiebreak battle. Westbrook scored 16 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals, directly crushing Harden against the opponent. In the words of the Clippers' reporter, the biggest gap between the Clippers and the Nuggets is that the Nuggets have Westbrook, but the Clippers do not. He can bring energy and competitive spirit to the game! In the second round of the Thunder, Westbrook scored 18 points in G1, Gordon scored a key final victory, which came from Westbrook's pass!

When everyone started preparing to celebrate, Westbrook noticed that there were still 3 seconds left, so he frantically gave Jewe strength, forcing Jewe to throw one in the backcourt, and the Nuggets narrowly won by 2 points! In G3, when Porter's shoulder injury + Murray's physical overdrawn + Gordon's frame protection clone was unable to protect his frame, Alexander made a series of irons in the final quarter and Westbrook made an indelible contribution! Even after playing overtime, Westbrook sat directly opposite the starting lineup and explained tactics to Jokic + Murray + Brian and others. The coach Adelman, Jr., nodded frequently, and the coaching team behind him stood in a row and listened carefully! The Nuggets finally scored 11-2 overtime, leading the Thunder 2-1 with a big score. Westbrook's annual salary this season is only 3.3 million, but in the playoffs, he has become the absolute leader of the Nuggets. Westbrook himself said that he knows what time to do!

In fact, since entering the playoffs, the Nuggets have been unpopular. The rotation lineup is too shallow, and only 6 players can contribute their energy. Among them, Porter Jr. also has a shoulder injury. But in times of adversity, there are always people who stand up and play with the Clippers. After playing for less than 2 days, they also pull the Thunder off the horse. They play so resiliently. This is completely different from the past few years, because of the energy condensed by Westbrook. As long as the Nuggets can pass the Thunder, Jokic will have an absolute advantage in the future whether it is against the Timberwolves or a team in the Eastern Conference, and Murray and Gordon have extremely strong explosive power in the playoffs. The biggest advantage of the Nuggets team is that their six players have the ability to average double-digit games in rotation, and there are shooting threats, including Westbrook!

The Nuggets won the championship in 23, but never encountered a team with 50+ wins in the playoffs. This year, the Clippers broke this embarrassing record in the first round of this year. Facing the young Thunder but without playoff experience, Westbrook is the biggest X-factor. Westbrook is the natural protagonist. In addition to scoring, he can achieve the ultimate in defense, organization, and rebounding. In fact, the Nuggets are getting closer and closer to the championship.