It’s time for my second edition of the Denver Nuggets mailbag. The Nuggets have begun to blossom — ok, that might be a stretch, but Denver is playing the best basketball they’ve played all year in the month of March — and I’m wondering how Nuggets Nation feels about their recent play?
FaceBook questions seem to dominate this version of the mailbag, but please feel free to tweet any Nuggets related questions to me on twitter. I will most likely answer as soon as I can, but if not, keep an eye for out latest mailbags to see if your question was answered.
Lets start with the FaceBook questions.
Thanks for question, Kyle. I do think they have a higher ceiling than Timofey Mozgov. I was, and still am, a big fan of Timo; the guy outworked everyone on the floor and made things happen. That said, he had his limitations.
Jusuf Nurkic might be a Mozgov type of player if he can just adjust his attitude and buy into the team-first motto of these Denver Nuggets. Nurkic has been relegated to a backup role, and that has not sat well with the Bosnian big man. His frustrations have have now led Michael Malone to push him farther and farther towards the back of the bench.
Nikola Jokic on the other hand, has a ceiling that could mimic the career of the Gasol brothers. He can play with his back to the basket, he can shoot the ball, and, boy, can he dish it! Jokic might be the best unknown player in the NBA right now.
Great question. Nuggets fans should be very excited about what is happening with this young team. They should equally be as excited with the job Tim Connelly has done and will continue to do as general manager.
With the possibility of three first-round draft picks and money to spend, Denver will be in a great position to make a move this offseason. The problem, as we all know, will be attracting a real impact player to the Mile High City. If you have to overpay to bring a superstar in, the Nuggets will have the means to do so. As far as the draft picks go, I would not expect Connelly and crew to be using more than one first-round pick; the million-dollar question is how high can they go with the picks and assets they have?
My good old friend Dan Fellman. Always good for some humor, thanks Dan!
Well, if I had to assign someone, I would probably give the opportunity to Mike Miller. He has the free time, and I would like to see if he vaporized like a vampire in sunlight upon being hit for the first time.
DC! Thanks for the question. By the way, you can catch Mr. Craig on Sundays on Mile High Sports Radio, helping The Final Word sound good from 10am-Noon.
As I mentioned above, Denver is in a very good spot, with both draft picks and cap space. The core of the team is also in place: Emmanuel Mudiay, Gary Harris, Nikola Jokic and Danilo Gallinari are the group that will carry the team in the future.
That doesn’t mean they can’t grab someone to help speed up the process, though.
As far as a name, the college game is so watered down it would be tough for me to narrow it down, but we do know Connelly likes the Euros. Remember the name Dragan Bender, a 7-foot-1, 216-pound Croatian who could be someone to replace Nurk if he’s not a part of the long-term plans.
I have only had the chance to see him play a couple of times; his shooting ability cannot be denied, but I don’t see a fit in Denver. Gary Harris is a key piece, and why waste a high pick on a backup? I think Denver may want to keep D.J. Augustin as well, which would give them three point guards, so that means there would not be a lot of room for another guard.
I may have shown my hand with my statements above about Jokic, but as of right now, I would say Jokic. That is no disrespect to Mudiay; I picked him to win Rookie of the Year. He won’t, but his game has progressed so much this year, and his future is very bright.
What Jokic has shown, though, is special. A big that can do all that he can do is unique. With the right development, he could be a star in a league that lacks star big men.
Another great question. It’s a double edged sword. I would tend to lean towards the side of winning games without making the playoffs. With the college game watered down, Denver will not be landing a franchise changer. In fact, I don’t think there is one in this year’s draft.
I do think games down the stretch for this young group can be valuable lessons learned moving forward. It’s why we don’t see Kenneth Faried in tight games down the stretch. That and he’s terrible at playing defense. I guess my answer is both? The Nuggets need to miss the playoffs and gain more lottery balls, but they can’t miss out on great coaching moments, either.
To keep this short and sweet, it’s the NBA; the players think everything is optional.
Thanks for all the questions! Keep an eye out on Twitter and FaceBook for the next round, and submit your questions to be answered in the latest mailbag.