After the Denver Nuggets' stunning firings of head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth just days before the end of the regular season last week, reports emerged that Russell Westbrook was a contentious issue among Malone, Booth and the locker room.
The Athletic reported last week that Malone and Booth disagreed over the usage of Westbrook. Booth reportedly wanted the team to use their younger players more, while Malone opted to utilize Westbrook over Jalen Pickett multiple times in the games leading up to their firings. This especially proved costly in the Nuggets' overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, when Westbrook was responsible for a couple mistakes that led to the loss. The Athletic also said that Malone's defense and leniency toward Westbrook was off-putting to several players in the locker room, including multiple of the team's younger players.
