As the Denver Nuggets have surged back in the Western Conference to secure the second-place spot, NBA executives believe the team cannot "afford to lose" Russell Westbrook if the Nuggets move him out of the starting five.

One NBA general manager gives his thoughts on what the Denver Nuggets should do with Russell Westbrook moving forward.

Russell Westbrook finished the loss with ten points, six rebounds, five assists and one steal while shooting 4/13 from the field and 1/4 from the three-point range in 25 minutes of playing time. Many people reacted to his performance on social media.

Russell Westbrook finished with 17 points, four rebounds and one assist while shooting 7/17 from the field and 3/7 from the three-point range in 24 minutes. Many people were talking about Westbrook on social media.

Sunday's matchup between the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets was highly-anticipated by fans as they are the two most recent NBA Champions. In their first matchup, the Celtics won in Denver 118-106,

Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook recently returned from a left hamstring injury that cost him seven games leading up to the All-Star break. Upon returning, the 17-year NBA veteran has rejoined the second unit.

Malone decided to go with Christian Braun over Russell Westbrook in the first game after the break, which made sense for a number of reasons. Braun had been playing very well for awhile before the All-Star break,

Early on in the second quarter of Friday’s matchup between the Detroit Pistons and the Denver Nuggets, things got a little testy between the rookie Ron Holland and the seasoned veteran Russell Westbrook.

The Denver Nuggets have been one of the NBA’s best teams this season, boasting a 37-20 record that places them No. 3 in the Western Conference. Despite their success, questions surrounding what the Nuggets’ starting five should look like have started to circulate.

Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook (4) and Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) in the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, in Denver. (AP

Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabate (14) and Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook (4) in the second half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David

Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook has missed the last seven games due to injury after playing 48 straight games to begin the season. In his 17th NBA campaign, the nine-time NBA All-Star is averaging 13.