Michael Porter Jr. discussed Russell Westbrook and their time together with the Denver Nuggets. Although Westbrook is considered by many to be one of the top point guards of the modern generation, the former MVP has struggled to establish a consistent role for himself on any contending team over the past few seasons.
With the Nuggets, Westbrook became a solid bench piece, though the team didn’t have enough to overcome the Oklahoma City Thunder in their second-round matchup. Westbrook, who will turn 37 in November, is approaching the end of his career, and the Nuggets appear to be unwilling to retain him.
Although Porter Jr. only played alongside Westbrook for one season, the two NBA stars got to know each other better during their time as teammates. Porter Jr. recently shared his opinion on Westbrook and his thoughts on playing alongside him.
What Did Michael Porter Jr. Say About Russell Westbrook?
Westbrook spent the best years of his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Although they never managed to win a title during his time with the team, there is no denying that Westbrook is one of, if not the greatest, players in franchise history. He even won the 2016-17 MVP award after averaging a triple-double for the entire season.
Unfortunately, Westbrook was never known for his pure shooting and greatly relied on his athletic abilities. As a result, his impact on the court has declined significantly over the past few seasons. Although Porter Jr. was well aware that Westbrook was past his prime and a lesser version of himself during his time with the Nuggets, he still praised the veteran guard.
“It would be hard for any player to go from being the MVP of the NBA to taking on a role where you’re coming off the bench. That’s tough, so for Russ to go from MVP to being told he’s going to play this type of role and to go to these different teams and get disrespected by so many people,” Porter said on “Respectfully The Justin Laboy Show.”
Porter Jr. continued, “When he went to LA, he was disrespected crazy. When he went to the Clippers, people hated on him crazy…So I feel like all those things weighed in on Russ…We’re all kinda at points in times in the season tripping about minutes and tripping about this and that…But me and Russ had a good relationship.”
With the offseason rapidly approaching its end, fans are left wondering if any team across the league will give Westbrook a chance to extend his career.