The life of an NBA player can be rigorous and downright grueling. Unless a player is a rare super freak like Lebron James or Kevin Durant, the path towards fruition of a sustained success in the NBA is an uphill battle.
NBA All-Star’s Damian Lillard and Isaiah Thomas are just two examples of players who had to fight for their career’s, even with the odds stacked against them. Lillard was drafted out of Division 1 Weber State University, and Thomas was the last overall pick in the 2011 draft. It’s situations like these, where game-changing stars emerge through years of development to help push a franchise forward that the Denver Nuggets are looking to mimic.
Playing in a small market like Denver, the Nuggets have to get crafty when it comes to compiling a talented roster. It’s highly unlikely that the Nuggets will ever land a top-tier, franchise-altering free-agent, ala Durant to the Warriors; however, that does not mean they can’t develop to compete.
They already have one of the most exciting players in the league in Nikola Jokic, just signed veteran All-Star Paull Millsap, and have an abundance of role players they are hopeful can develop into cornerstones down the line. Between Gary Harris and Jamal Murray, the Nuggets core is strong, but there is a dark horse within the roster that could be a breakout player for Denver this season.
Acquired in a draft night trade with the Utah Jazz, Trey Lyles is refreshed and refocused entering his 3rd NBA season is looking to impact the Nuggets in more ways than one. Lyles was highly coveted by the Nuggets in the 2015 draft, so when the opportunity to acquire him became available, Denver pulled the trigger, and for good reason.
Lyles fits Nuggets offensive mold seamlessly with his ability to space the floor and push the pace. Also, his passing skills will help with existing chemistry on the court, and he has the potential to be a reliable all-around scorer.
Those intangibles paired with some untapped upside makes Lyles one of the more intriguing players on Denver’s roster this coming season.
Lyles impressed in his rookie season with Utah; however, due to their postseason push last year he was virtually forced out of the rotation and lost his identity with the team.
Now in his new home, Lyles is looking forward to his fresh start.
Asked if being traded gave him a chip on his shoulder, “Definitely, but then again, it’s like being able to restart,” Lyles said at Nuggets Training Camp. “Start from scratch with a new team, new organization, and I think a team that better suits me as a player and I think I’ll be able to do more things on this team.”
Lyles is competing for backup power forward minutes against long-standing starter Kenneth Faried. The competition, he says, is helping him up his game.
“He makes sure that I stay active defensively and makes sure I’m paying attention at all times because he’s a crasher,” Lyles said.
Coming into this season, Lyles is rejuvenated and ready to help take his team to the next level. At just 21-years-old, he has plenty of time to develop despite his previous shortcomings, similar to what Gary Harris went through early on in his career.
Harris’ rookie season was a disaster under then head coach Brian Shaw; however, he blossomed with a change of scenery under Michael Malone and is now a major part of the future, having just signed a four-year, $84-million-dollar contract extension.
The Nuggets are hoping Malone, and his staff, can do the same with Lyles and develop him into an established part of the core moving forward.
While many were quick to tout the Jazz the winners of the trade due to the drafting of the sexy pick of the moment Donovan Mitchell, the Nuggets were able to add a player in Lyles who fits their blueprint and has the opportunity to jumpstart his career in the Mile High City.
