The Denver Nuggets just beat the Philadelphia 76ers, 134-137.  The Nuggets are now 1-3 in their last 4 games. However, that will have to take a backseat as coach Michael Malone has a bigger concern. Veteran Russell Westbrook walked off during the Sixers game tonight with a hamstring injury.

Some eagle-eyed viewers were quick to notice that Russ looked off tonight. He seemed to be playing tentatively, not attempting too many shots. The Nuggets initially reported that Westbrook was experiencing some tightness in his hamstring when he went to the back. However, soon after, he was ruled out of the game entirely.

This injury comes as a big blow to the Nuggets. After all, Russ was in the midst of a career resurgence having recently usurped the starting role from Christian Braun. Since Russell Westbrook is one of those players who rarely gets injured, fans quickly pointed their fingers at head coach Michael Malone.

Fans online lambasted Malone for making Russ play through injury. Especially considering how much better he looked this season relative to years prior. Russ is 3rd in defensive rebounds and ranks 5th in PPG for the Nuggets this season despite only starting 26 games. So let’s have a look at why fans are so cross with Malone after the injury to Westbrook.

Fans rip into Michael Malone after Russell Westbrook’s injury

Brodie playing through an injury tonight really upset the Denver faithful. “We think he’s been dealing with hamstring all night. Not attempting shots and getting blown by trying to manage it,” wrote an observant fan on X. Quite an accurate assessment. The way Westbrook played tonight was a shadow of himself from games earlier this season. Before walking off, Westbrook only managed to score 4 points. And even though he provided 7 assists, his contributions tonight were a far cry from his 13.3 PPG and 5.2 boards a game this season.

But while some fans were more focused on the injury to Russell Westbrook, others saw it as an opportunity to voice their frustrations with head coach Michael Malone. “I’m really starting to question Malone’s abilities…” wrote one X user. While another commented, “Malone is the Thibs of the Western Conference.” You see, New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau, aka Thibs, has built up a certain reputation over the years.

Thibs is known for not rotating his starters during games. While this does help in establishing dominance over a team on-court during the regular season, it does lead to a lot of injuries down the stretch. Especially if the team enters the playoffs/NBA finals. And while we’d reckon Malone isn’t quite there yet, this is still one comparison he would love to avoid.

And full disclosure, Malone is partly to blame for Westbrook’s injury in the Sixers game. “Rare injury, rest up soon Brodie,” pointed out another member of the community, while also wishing Westbrook a speedy recovery. Injuries to Russ are few and far between. After all, the man played all 82 regular season games in 4 out of his first 5 NBA seasons. So the fan calling his injury rare is quite accurate.

With the All-Star break on the horizon, fans will hope the injury to Westbrook isn’t severe. However, a soft tissue injury at the age of 36 is not a good omen. All in all, Michael Malone needs to change the way he rotates players, lest he draw any more unflattering comparisons to Thibs!