There’s a reason why the Nuggets don’t want Westbrook! Hardaway scored 5 three-pointers, which is the missing piece to win the championship.

Westbrook rejected the Nuggets' 3.4 million player option. The real reason was finally given by me personally: "The Nuggets didn't want me to stay, so I left!"

Most Nuggets fans didn't understand. Why didn't Westbrook, a veteran who loves to fight and dare to fight, not stay? Last season, he averaged 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game, with a shooting percentage of 44.9% and a three-point shooting percentage of 32.3%.

It wasn’t until the Nuggets signed Hardaway that they knew the determination of the Nuggets management to win the championship in the new season.

On November 9, the Nuggets defeated the Pacers 117-100. In this game, Nuggets player Hardaway Jr. performed well. He came off the bench and was very accurate from the outside. In 24 minutes, he made 6 of 13 shots and 5 of 9 three-pointers. He scored 17 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists. His plus-minus value was +24, the highest in the game.

Westbrook is far from able to make up for Hardaway's three-point microwave feel.

Since winning the championship in 2023, the team has lost key players such as Bruce Brown and Pope, resulting in a significant reduction in strength and inaction in the past two years.

In April this year, before the 2024-25 season was over, the Nuggets began to take drastic action and fired head coach Malone and general manager Booth.

In this summer's free market, the Nuggets focused on building depth in the lineup. Not only did they recall Brown, the hero of the 2023 championship, they also found substitute center Valanciunas for Jokic.

The most important thing is that their substitutes have poor three-point firepower. They finally chose Hardaway, the key puzzle piece. So far in the new season, he has averaged 10.8 points per game and shot 44% from three-point range!