6. PG Jameer Nelson
Jameer Nelson isn’t half the player he was during his heyday in Orlando, but his role in Denver may be one of the most important of his career.
As we saw last season, this young Nuggets roster lacks leadership. Once things started going bad in Denver, they spiraled out of control, culminating in the firing of Brian Shaw and the ousting of Ty Lawson. Now, along with Mike Miller, it’ll be on Nelson to right the ship and teach these young guys how do be professionals, on and off the court.
Obviously, Emmanuel Mudiay is the point guard of the present and future in Denver, but they’ll be plenty of opportunities where the Nuggets need Nelson to direct the offense, allowing Mudiay to play off the ball. In those smaller lineups, the Nuggets could become deadly, especially if Nelson’s shot is falling.
It seems like every time the Nuggets have been successful they’ve had a wise, old point guard on the lineup; this year, it’s Jameer Nelson’s turn.
