Empty Cut 17+6+2! Taking a 3.3 m i l l i o n m i n i m u m s a l a r y , b u t p l a y i n g t o p − l e v e l d a t a , t h e 3.3 million minimum salary, but playing top-level data, the 3.3millionminimumsalary,butplayingtop−leveldata,the240 million super giant should be benched

28/12/2024 56hotness 0likes

The Christmas Day game has concluded with the Nuggets losing to the Suns by a score of 100-110. The match was filled with ups and downs; the first quarter had a close score, the second quarter remained competitive, the Suns took control in the third quarter, and although the Nuggets played well in the early part of the fourth quarter, they made frequent mistakes and their shooting accuracy dropped significantly, ultimately leading to their defeat. In terms of statistics, Jokic scored 25 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, dished out 2 assists, and made 2 steals, while Westbrook put up an impressive stat line of 17 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 turnovers. Porter contributed 22 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 turnovers, and Murray added 13 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists with 4 turnovers.

In fact, the two teams have faced each other before, with the Suns losing by a significant margin of 27 points. However, in this game, it was unexpected that the Nuggets were unable to come out on top. Looking at the entire game, the Nuggets lost primarily due to four reasons. Firstly, they had a high number of turnovers, with a total of 16, mainly in the latter half of the fourth quarter, which led to their downfall. Secondly, the Nuggets' outside shooting was severely off, with only 8 successful shots out of 29 attempts. Thirdly, the Suns clearly had experience dealing with Jokic and focused on cutting off his connection with his teammates. Despite Jokic's ability to score high points, he was unable to effectively involve his teammates, as evidenced by his rare tally of only 2 assists. Lastly, Jamal Murray continued to struggle, shooting 4 for 10 with a low efficiency, numerous turnovers, and a negative plus-minus value of -16, the lowest in the game. Throughout the season, Murray has shown a significant decline in his offensive capabilities, with an average shooting percentage of only 42%, lower than Westbrook's. Additionally, Murray often becomes a liability on defense, leading many fans to believe that Malone should consider starting Westbrook instead.

There is a clear contrast in the team's performance when Westbrook starts. So far this season, the Nuggets have a record of 6 wins and 1 loss when Westbrook starts, compared to 10 wins and 11 losses when he does not. It's time for Malone to realize that Westbrook's state this season has been quite commendable. He has a strong desire to win and a fierce competitive spirit, maintains a focused attitude during games, and frequently scores over 20 points on offense. Although his three-point shooting accuracy is a weakness, it has still reached an average of 35% this season, compared to Murray's 34%. Crucially, Westbrook can handle the ball effectively, helping Jokic conserve energy.

When both are on the court together, Westbrook takes control of the ball, allowing Jokic to become the primary scorer. Before the season began, there were concerns about their compatibility, but these concerns did not materialize. As Jokic previously stated, when the team falls behind, Westbrook will never stand idly by. It's no exaggeration to say that Westbrook's annual salary this season is only $3.3 million, yet he has produced top-level statistics. Since winning the championship, the Nuggets' strength has been declining year by year, and without Westbrook this season, it would have been challenging for them to make the playoffs.

Westbrook's plus-minus in this game was +5, making him the only player on the Nuggets with a positive value. In the previous game where the Nuggets defeated the Suns by 27 points, Westbrook also started. Renowned basketball commentator Duan Ran evaluates Westbrook as follows: although Westbrook has his flaws, his ball-handling and defensive abilities can alleviate the pressure on both ends of the court for Jokic. This MVP duo has proven to be very effective so far. As long as Westbrook maintains a proper attitude and refrains from chasing after individual statistics, he can be a formidable defensive player.

Murray completed a four-year, $208 m i l l i o n c o n t r a c t e x t e n s i o n d u r i n g t h e o f f s e a s o n, a d d i n g t o h i s c u r r e n t s e a s o n^{'} s s a l a r y o f$ 208millioncontractextensionduringtheoffseason,addingtohiscurrentseason′ssalaryof36.02 million, bringing his total contract value to over $240 m i l l i o n . H o w e v e r, h i s c o n t r i b u t i o n s t o J o k i c a r e n o t a s s i g n i f i c a n t a s W e s t b r o o k^{'} s . M u r r a y i s n o w t y p i c a l o f s o m e o n e w h o c a n o n l y p a d h i s s t a t s a g a i n s t w e a k e r o p p o n e n t s, s h o o t i n g 2 f o r 7 a g a i n s t t h e T i m b e r w o l v e s, 4 f o r 13 a g a i n s t t h e T h u n d e r, a n d 4 f o r 16 a g a i n s t t h e M a v e r i c k s . I t^{'} s u n r e a l i s t i c t o e x p e c t M u r r a y t o r e p l i c a t e h i s c h a m p i o n s h i p - w i n n i n g f o r m, a s h e h a s b e g u n t o d e c l i n e . T h i s$ 240million.However,hiscontributionstoJokicarenotassignificantasWestbrook′s.Murrayisnowtypicalofsomeonewhocanonlypadhisstatsagainstweakeropponents,shooting2for7againsttheTimberwolves,4for13againsttheThunder,and4for16againsttheMavericks.It′sunrealistictoexpectMurraytoreplicatehischampionship−winningform,ashehasbeguntodecline.This240 million superstar should consider coming off the bench, as the starting position for the Nuggets belongs to Westbrook.