Kawhi Leonard’s Major Flaw Could Help Nikola Jokic & Co as Nuggets Receive Brutal Russell Westbrook Warning

If game 1 of the Clippers-Nuggets was something to go by, this first-round series is going to be absolute cinema. Denver bested their rivals 112-110 in OT, with Nikola Jokić turning up as usual. And surprisingly, so did Russell Westbrook. But the result might speak more of the Clippers’ problems rather than the Nuggets’ success. And for Ty Lue, a fair warning has been issued about Kawhi Leonard’s vulnerabilities that Jokic and Co. could exploit.

On the The Colin Cowherd Podcast, guest Jason Timpf noticed a few problems in Kawhi’s playmaking abilities. This was backed up by some data, which really seemed daunting from a Lob City perspective. If you’re Ty Lue, this has to be worked on from the get-go. The Nuggets’ defense isn’t like the Pentagon, but it’s still good enough to exploit Kawhi’s supposed weaknesses.

“Kawhi Leonard- as amazing as he is, can be a robotically efficient scorer. But he’s never been good at managing double teams. He’s never been a very good passer. I remember for the first decade of his career… he never logged a single game with seven assists. He just struggled to generate shots for his teammates. Yeah, and he’s never been a great playmaker,” said Timpf.

If you compare it with his career stats, too, it doesn’t bode well for the Klaw. 20.1 points over the course of a 15-year career? Amazing- we already knew about his exceptional scoring. 6.4 rebounds? Pretty decent if you consider that he’s not the tallest, and he isn’t a two-way player. But just 3.1 assists? Over the course of 733 games? That’s not a good view from a team’s point of view. And Ty Lue should consider a chat with his ace attacker.

Mar 11, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) grabs a rebound against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

But that’s not all. Timpf realised another aspect of his attacking that could be vital if Nikola Jokić and Co. decide to exploit. And that’s his inability to play against a double mark. “[Denver] just have to be good enough to prey on that indecision that they have to prey on those mistakes. Like you can double Kawhi, Colin- you can double Kawhi and he’s going to make some mistakes. And so I do think they have some advantages here. And I came away from that game feeling like Denver had a better chance to win the series than I thought beforehand.”

As an average playmaker, some things could be tweaked that could prove beneficial later on. But as for his inability against doubles, David Adelman would have a fantastic time forming his tactics around stopping the Kawhi‘s from having a look in during the series. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be the catalyst to shift the tie in their favour. According to ESPN writer Tim Bontemps, Adelman could have a Russell Westbrook problem on his hands.

Russell Westbrook’s unpredictability could prove costly for Nuggets

It’s hard to sum up Russell Westbrook’s career in the NBA. On one hand, his attacking efficiency alone is enough to get him into the Hall of Fame. And it most likely will. But on the other, his poor decision making proves to be more costly than the Nuggets can hope for. And on Brian Windhorst’s podcast, Brian Windhorst & the Hoop Collective, Tim sums up that unpredictability perfectly.

“And all senses of the phrase, you, can’t trust Russ, but you can always trust Russ to be Russ. That’s my saying with Westbrook… Russell Westbrook truly is the item box for Mario Kart which for anybody who played Mario Kart, you hit the item box and it went around and it gave you something. And every time it was something different. from possession to possession, Russell Westbrook is a Mario Kart item box, let alone game to game. You just have absolutely no idea what he’s going to do. I think over the long run, that’s going to end up being a huge problem for the for the Nuggets,” said Tim on the pod.

Over the course of this season, there’s one specific match that perfectly defines that experience- Timberwolves vs Nuggets, April Fool’s Day. Ex-Nuggets HC Michael Malone ended up being the fool on Russell’s behalf that day. Denver was up by 1 with 13 seconds left on the clock. Christian Bruan passed the ball to Westbrook. Westbrook charged towards the bucket. Oh, he missed the layup. Peace, patience, it is still theirs. The Mile High Club is still in the lead with seconds to go.

Mar 5, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook (4) in the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Oh, hell, he conceded a foul and gave Nickeil Alexander-Walker two unguarded attempts at the bucket with 0.1 seconds left on the clock. As predicted, he sinks them in, giving the Wolves a 1-point lead. Even despite Jokic’s half-arsed attempt at buzzer-beater, the Wolves won the brawl. And that was despite Nikola Jokić making history with a 61-point triple-double. Despite Beastbrook showing up handy in their game 1 win over the Clippers, his unpredictability could be a thorn in their side for the long term.

So ahead of game 2, both coaches have problems to solve with their attackers. As for Kawhi Leonard, Ty Lue is experienced enough to find a workaround in double-quick time. But as for Russell Westbrook, oh, how Adelman wishes he had a workaround. And so, all eyes go to game 2 at the Ball Arena in Denver. Who do you think will come out on top?

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