The Nuggets are on the road Tuesday night for Game 5 of the West semi-finals vs. the Thunder. Oklahoma City won Game 4 and tied the series 2-2. 

On Tuesday morning, ESPN’s Ramona Shelbourne published a detailed article about the Nuggets. Specifically about their title hopes and how Russell Westbrook affects it. She noted that after Game 2 of their first-round series, Russell Westbrook and Aaron Gordon had a heated discussion. An anonymous Nuggets player told Shelbourne that Westbrook was “immature.” His actions sparked a turnaround for Denver, and they won that series in seven games.

Russell Westbrook will always be a polarizing figure in the NBA

An anonymous player on the Denver Nuggets says Russell Westbrook is ‘immature,’ per @ramonashelburne

“Minutes after the Nuggets lost Game 2 of their first-round series against the Clippers, Adelman had a problem. While he’d been at the postgame lectern, there’d been a heated… pic.twitter.com/lBegNvG36A

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 13, 2025

In year 17, the Denver Nuggets know the type of nightly production they’ll get from Russell Westbrook. The 2016-17 MVP is still a major role player in the NBA. He was the sixth man for Denver in the regular season, and he’s playing the same role in the playoffs. On Tuesday morning, ESPN’s Ramona Shelbourne published an article. Its basis was how Denver’s title hopes “hinge” on the “most volatile” player in the NBA, Russell Westbrook.

Shelbourne reported that Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon and Russell Westbrook had a heated exchange after Game 2 of their first-round series. Gordon challenged Westbrook about his attitude. While outside the locker room, an anonymous Nuggets player told Shelbourne that Westbrook is “immature”. While this argument could have sent the team spiraling, the Nuggets stayed poised in the first round.

One Nuggets player said the locker room is not afraid to talk “honestly” and that holds them all “accountable.” While the Nuggets are still alive in the playoffs, vibes are high on Russell Westbrook. He’s a do-it-all type of player, and Nuggets fans have to live with the good and the bad. He’s capable of having 20+ points per game off the bench or having a rough shooting night like he did in Game 4. Westbrook was 2-9 from beyond the arc. How far can Denver make it in the 2025 playoffs with Westbrook on their roster?