Christian Braun Faces Criticism for Refusing to Give Up No. 0 to Russell Westbrook: 'I Smell Bad Blood in the Team Already’
Westbrook scored an average of 11.1 points, grabbed 5.0 rebounds, and dished out 4.5 assists last season with the Clippers, while Braun averaged 7.3 points and 3.7 rebounds for the Nuggets. As Braun prepares to take a starting spot in the backcourt, Russ is set to be the primary backup for the injury-prone Jamal Murray. Following Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's departure this summer, Braun is expected to start for the Nuggets.
Interestingly, Braun ranks higher than Westbrook on the Nuggets' depth chart, which likely justified his decision to keep his jersey number rather than give it up to Westbrook, even though Westbrook is a veteran player.
Braun's decision to stick with No. 0 seems to be based on more than just ranking, as players often sell their numbers to those who want them. The report that Braun "didn't budge" suggests that Russ may have offered something in exchange, but Braun was only interested in keeping the number. This firm stance could symbolize the start of a new chapter for Westbrook with a new number.
The Nuggets made several strategic moves, starting from Draft night, to clear just enough cap space to acquire Russell Westbrook this summer. With former title-winning backup Reggie Jackson no longer on the team, Westbrook's role in the franchise is now clearly defined. Beyond their need for a backup guard, which became more urgent when Jamal Murray was injured, the Nuggets pursued Westbrook partly because Nikola Jokic strongly wanted Russ to be a teammate.
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