Over the past week, the world has learned three things about the Denver Nuggets: 1) They still aren’t better than the Golden State Warriors 2) They have a player in Paul Millsap that can finish games down the stretch, a talent they’ve lacked since Carmelo Anthony was in town 3) Last, but certainly not least, Nikola Jokic is still really good at basketball.
With all the glamour that the Jokic and Millsap pairing provides — along with a sprinkling of young players like Gary Harris and Jamal Murray — many are high on the future of the Nuggets organization, and with good reason.
Eleven games into the season, most headlines regarding the Nuggets have surrounded Millsap and Jokic, as expected. Millsap has been his usual self; he provides grit, determination and consistency. He’s averaging 15.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists, all while simultaneously attempting to change the Nuggets’ identity on the defensive end.
“That is the importance of having Paul Millsap,” head coach Michael Malone said prior to Millsap’s big night against Miami on Nov. 3. “He does not shy away from the moment. He has been in that moment time and time again – 87 playoff games; he is an All-Star.”
If Millsap has been the engine, Jokic has been the driving force. They go as he goes — and he’s coming off of a career-high 41 points in their 112-104 win over the Brooklyn Nets, to go along with 12 rebounds and five assists.
“Obviously, he’s a hell of a player,” said Malone. “And I’m going to stop saying he’s a hell of a young player, because I don’t care how old he is — Nikola is one of the better players in the NBA.”
While Jokic and Millsap have deserved their praise, the longest-tenured Nugget has drifted along under the radar.
Wilson Chandler, in his seventh season with the team, may not have the same All-Star status as Millsap, but no player on the team has been asked to do as much as Chandler has each and every night, and on both ends of the floor. On the season, Chandler is averaging 8.2 rebounds, 4.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists, which is most certainly down from last year’s average of 15.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists a game. However, what he’s done this year has been critical to the well-being of the team, and quite frankly, nobody else on the team is capable of doing what he can do.
For instance, in Tuesday night’s win against the Nets, Jokic had the offense clicking; Chandler was a basket away (nine points, 10 rebounds) from a double-double, while bringing intensity on the defensive end and logging the most minutes on the night for the Nuggets.
On most nights, he exerts most of his energy on the defensive end, as he’s tasked as the primary defender on the opponent’s best offensive player — but the Nuggets still need him to chip in on the offensive end. Most think Chandler’s having a down year, but fail to appreciate that, oftentimes, his sacrifice and contributions can go unseen.
Chandler remains an important part of the roster, and plays a wholly unique role on it. While he’s proven he can score, Chandler has become a Swiss Army knife for Malone, doing whatever Denver needs him to do for the entirety of the game. He may not be the primary reason for Denver’s success, but he’s certainly a major one.
