Still, for all his immaturity, Westbrook has been a net-positive for the Nuggets, who managed to survive a seven-game slugfest against the Clippers, and are trailing, 3-2, in their Western Conference semifinal series against Westbrook's original team, the Thunder.

Game 5 was set to be a decisive contest in the second-round series between the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder, with the winner taking the 3-2 series l

The Nuggets decided against Russell Westbrook right before they won their first title. This year, they made the bold bet.