Since leaving the Washington Wizards in 2021, the career of 2017 MVP Russell Westbrook has plummeted. The Big Three experiment with LeBron James and Anthony Davis with the Los Angeles Lakers completely failed. Although it has recovered somewhat with the Los Angeles Clippers, before the start of this season, no one believed that “Wei Shao” could Back to the top, but this time everyone was wrong! The familiar thunder three-dimensional monster appears again!
Westbrook finally came to terms with leaving his hometown of Los Angeles and headed to Colorado to join the Denver Nuggets . The goal set by head coach Mike Malone is to add a stable point guard who can both lead the second unit and step into the starting lineup when Jamal Murray is injured. From the current perspective, the 36-year-old “Wei Shao” is not only easily qualified for both roles, but has also become the most important player in the Golden Nuggets’ rotation. Malone mentioned in an interview with Tony Jones of the authoritative sports media “The Athletic”: “I Tell him (Westbrook) that he hopes to continue to challenge himself and become the best version of himself. No disrespect to past coaches, but if you put Wei Shao in the corner, his talents cannot be used this season. I tried to let him control it. With the ball, you have to appreciate this guy coming to a new environment and trying to fit into the team instead of being the center of attention.”
Unlike previous coaches, Malone gave Westbrook enough trust and allowed him to find the rhythm on the court. From grabbing rebounds to advancing quickly, to rushing inside and then passing the ball to ambushing shooters, his performance made people see the All-Star who had been away for many years. Westbrook is gradually rebuilding its reputation. Fans are beginning to think of the amazingly talented guard, and criticisms about him dominating the ball and having a low shooting percentage have disappeared. Yes! When Golden Nuggets fans first learned that Wei Wei had joined, there were constant scoldings on the Internet. The only one who applauded was former head coach George Karl. He publicly pointed out on July 26 last year: “This pairing of Golden Nuggets and Wei Wei It’s a win for both of them. They will fit together like peas and carrots to help the Nuggets reach the top.”
Last Friday, the Golden Nuggets defeated the Brooklyn Nets 124:105. Wei Shao personally contributed 25 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, 1 steal and 1 block, and his shooting percentage was 17. Made 8 of 8 field goals and 2 of 5 three-pointers. Yes! Another big three. According to StatMamba data, the highest winning rate led by the starting point guard this season is Darius Garland (88.9%), followed by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (83.8%) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (75%). In the first 37 games of the season, the Nuggets ranked fourth in the Western Conference with 22 wins and 15 losses.
Rather than saying that the feng shui of Denver is good, it is better to say that Wei Shao’s excellent chemical reaction with Nikola Jokić is the fundamental reason for his success. According to PBP Stats data, before last Friday’s game, Wei Shao sent a total of 84 assists to Jokoqi, which is the third highest number for a duo in the league, second only to Chris Paul and Victor Victor Wembanyama ‘s 90 assists, and Trae Young’s 91 assists against Jalen Johnson. Jokoqi and Wei Shao are both masters of assists. They are not just players who can attack hard. Jokoqi can get open shots from the outside when Wei Shao rushes to the basket to attract defense. Wei Shao can also play in the high position of Jokoqi. Score by cutting in when attacking.
