LexDiamonds
Superstar
All the while, Malone’s choice to continue supporting Westbrook — despite the frustration he was causing on and off the floor — ultimately led to a loss of credibility among the team’s key players. It was one thing when Malone handled Jokić and Murray with more leniency than the rest of their group, but affording Westbrook that sort of treatment, even with his Hall of Fame resume, wasn’t received well by some.That dynamic intensified recently, starting with Westbrook’s meltdown against Minnesota on April 1 in which his late-game blunders cost Denver the win and spoiled Jokić’s 60-point triple-double. After a brutal Jokić turnover late in a loss to Indiana on Sunday, when he and Westbrook miscommunicated up top and the big man’s pass flew out of bounds, Malone defended his veteran point guard in a way that was seen by some as a shot at the team’s young talents.Michael Malone on Russell Westbrook: "He knows what big games are about, and we're playing a lot of guys that have no idea what big games are about. Having a veteran that's been there and done that can also be reassuring for some of those guys."
