Welcome to Glass Slipper! I’m going to need Joel Embiid to hold his own this afternoon against his Serbian nemesis; please enjoy the show.

- Jacob Rhee

Outside of LeBron, I’m not sure there’s been a more polarizing basketball player in the modern era than Russell Westbrook. My personal stance on him has never changed. I’ve loved the guy from the moment I saw him on a court for the first time.

Westbrook’s game runs counter to almost everything that I value within the sport. He commits sloppy turnovers, the shooting splits are always a mess, and his effectiveness consistently dips in the postseason. But my adoration for this man is unshakeable, for a very simple reason. He cares.

No player is perfect. All we can ask of our favorite athletes is that they give everything they have in an attempt to win. Russ is the extremely rare guy that totally empties the tank each time he goes out there. I can only name three current athletes in the big three American sports leagues (NFL, NBA, and MLB) that share his mindset. Maxx Crosby, Marcus Smart, and Max Scherzer.

Many fans are claiming that Westbrook is an awful fit with the Nuggets. One of the worst shooters in the sport joining a team that finished 25th in threes made per game last year? That does indeed sound like a disaster. But it’s the attitude and intangibles that I think are going to work wonders for Denver.

When the Nuggets started to crumble in Game 7 against Minnesota a few months ago, I saw a bunch of dudes looking around for some sort of direction; it was a roster constructed without a real vocal leader. I mean, just think about it. Despite the fact that he loves to debate calls with the refs, Jamal Murray actually seems rather reserved. Aaron Gordon does, as well. DeAndre Jordan is a good veteran, but he’s honestly just way too goofy - and plays far too little - to be taken seriously. Michael Porter Jr. obviously cannot be entrusted with such a role. The responsibility naturally falls to Nikola Jokic, but he actively shuns those duties. By the way, it was the three-time MVP himself that told his front office to acquire Westbrook. I suspect that he came to the same realization as me in the second half of that Game 7.

In addition, I’d argue that the on-court match between Russ and Denver isn’t that strange. The narrative that Westbrook can’t succeed without the ball in his hands is just a complete myth. He made an All-NBA team in Houston while playing with James Harden, who we all know has a deep affinity for dribbling. Those sprinting, catch-and-go slashes to the rim that Russ learned that year will become available to him again when Jokic has the rock. So will the backdoor baseline lobs that Westbrook perfected with the Clippers; he can essentially serve as a mini, reserve version of Aaron Gordon with this team.

Yes, Russ can be a bit reckless. But that guy brings no drama outside of basketball, and he lays it on the line for his teammates every night. Nuggets fans are going to fall in love with his effort, and I’d be thrilled to see Westbrook hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy. He’s been picked apart by the media for years, and I hope he finally gets his chance to silence everyone.

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