Renck: Russell Westbrook is an experience. But Nuggets would be a mess without Playoff Russ

OKLAHOMA CITY To understand Russell Westbrook you have to understand how West works It is hours before tip-off on Wednesday night and Westbrook emerges from the visiting tunnel at Paycom Center He is like a shark No wasted movement He sets up on the left block and begins knee squats At his joints should require WD- but he moves like an athlete half his age The routine begins and rarely if ever wavers He shoots five -foot shots three free throws heads down to the block for five jumpers then makes his way around the arc on -pointers Engine revving he takes entry passes against a defender down low and goes through a variety of moves that have become his signature over a -year career The jab step The elbow up into the grill The burst to the basket with screams in the empty arena of And The fall-away bank shot He finishes with another round of s including a rainbow from out of bounds in the left corner For the second straight battle night he sinks it then races into the locker room like Road Runner being chased by Wile E Coyote Westbrook is not a athlete He is an experience An amusement park ride that provides thrills but can leave you nauseous In these playoffs however that has not been accurate There has been nuance Yes his unpredictability helped get Michael Malone fired It was maddening But the idea that the Nuggets can upset the Thunder would be crazy talk without Westbrook Against the league s deepest squad Westbrook is akin to a judge alone on the bench Peyton Watson might get a block and Julian Strawther might make a shot but Westbrook is the only reserve who can be trusted And the more critical the moment the angrier the opponent the steadier his own match has become Do you remember the last possession of Contest Aaron Gordon made the shot But Westbrook made the pass There was no replay of the forgettable sequence against Minnesota on April He resisted the temptation to drive into Chet Holmgren at the rim to deploy airbags I grabbed the rebound and Russ eyes got really big so I think that means get him the ball recalled guard Christian Braun with a smirk Westbrook is a racecar But at this stage of his career he demands guardrails Interim boss David Adelman gives him freedom but has not been afraid to pull him if he gets loose with the ball And Westbrook has responded to the coaching He has talked about the seismic leadership change as a galvanizing event for the band It extended to Monday night as they faced a -point deficit early in the third quarter We kept saying the whole time Stay with it a veteran group guys have been here before We executed down the stretch Westbrook disclosed It s very helpful when you know your brother has your back regardless of what s going on We stay with it through all the ups and downs And honestly I think we can play a lot better which I am happy about When the series switches to Denver for Championship Westbrook s importance will only grow in significance At Ball Arena he touches the income of his talent He delivers haymakers with attitude practically sticking his chin out and saying I dare you to stop me He is averaging points in four home playoff games shooting from the field and from Westbrook can match the athleticism of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Lu Dort Jalen Williams and Alex Caruso He gives the Nuggets options with his ability to bring the ball up the court preserving Jamal Murray s legs for the fourth quarter He can also win off the dribble making offense happen while matching the physicality of playoff defense when the refs swallow their whistles Related Articles Nuggets Podcast Aaron Gordon Nikola Jokic and Denver s Tournament stunner in Oklahoma City Renck Nuggets Nikola Jokic makes loud clear declaration on who real MVP is in Oklahoma City Aaron Gordon answered the call for the Nuggets in Oklahoma City just as he s dependably done Thunder s Mark Daigneault sticks by failed late-game strategy vs Nuggets I didn t think that s why we lost PHOTOS Denver Nuggets steal Tournament from Oklahoma City Thunder - in NBA Playoffs round two And his leadership doesn t hurt He has been in the league for almost half of his life after all It s a great thing to have people who have been through this And on top of it he has played for a lot of high-profile coaches and been on a lot of high-profile teams that had different stylistic avenues of playing So when he has an opinion we are going to listen Adelman explained It s invariably good to have that It is never seamless with Westbrook We all understand this after watching him for seven months But Playoff Russ has been impossible not to appreciate He has been a difference on multiple nights And that begins several hours before tip-off Want more Nuggets news Sign up for the Nuggets Insider to get all our NBA analysis