The Denver Nuggets are moving closer to one of the most anticipated seasons in franchise history.
Let’s continue our three-week series in advance of Media Day on September 29th. With 14 players on the roster and a new mix of players to discuss, it’s important to remember who the Nuggets have, who they don’t have, and what to expect heading into October.
Up next, a check-in on Zeke Nnaji.
Zeke Nnaji is officially the third longest tenured member of the Denver Nuggets.
Entering his sixth season, the now veteran big man has struggled to crack the Nuggets rotation and carve out a consistent role. The first two seasons of his career involved time as an emergency power forward. The next two seasons saw the Nuggets trying to make it work with Nnaji as the backup center behind Nikola Jokic.
Last season saw a reversion to the original plan. Of the 1,121 possessions Nnaji played, 499 occurred next to Jokic and 252 occurred next to DeAndre Jordan. 370 possessions occurred without either seven footer on the floor, which represented 33% of Nnaji’s minutes.
For what it’s worth, the Nuggets had the point differentials in those configurations:
- Nnaji at power forward next to Jokic: +13.1 in 499 possessions
- Nnaji at power forward next to Jordan: +9.9 in 252 possessions
- Nnaji at backup center: -28.8 in 370 possessions
It’s clear that Nnaji isn’t a center and has been clear for a while. Is that a good enough excuse for the lineups to be so bad? Absolutely not. It’s just a factor the Nuggets must consider going forward.
With the addition of Jonas Valanciunas to the Nuggets rotation, there’s an opportunity for Nnaji to play in a more optimized situation going forward. Under contract for the next three seasons, the Nuggets can and should consider what Nnaji can do in that role. He’s an athletic, physical player in those situations, but the shooting will need to revert to the numbers from his first two seasons if he wants to stay on the floor.
Right now, Nnaji is projected to compete with rookie DaRon Holmes II for minutes. The Nuggets are in the unenviable position of neither being in line for extended reps, and the pair will likely cannibalize each other’s opportunities as the coaching staff tries to find the right moment for a bigger body playing next to Valanciunas.
Of course, there’s a very real world where neither player factors into the rotation. Beyond the starting unit, Valanciunas, Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr., Peyton Watson, and Julian Strawther will all likely factor into the rotation decisions.
In order to fit Strawther in, Watson will have to slide to power forward and likely cut both Holmes and Nnaji out of the mix. Keep in mind that Watson will be playing for a contract too (unless he and the Nuggets can agree to a deal before opening night) meaning the Nuggets and Watson will both want to see some extended playing time there.
All of this to say, Nnaji might get squeezed out of the mix, even if there’s an opportunity to be more solid at power forward next to true centers in Jokic and Valanciunas. That’s a tough place for both Nnaji and the Nuggets to be. Denver will feel pressure to not just play well, but to reoptimize their salary cap sheet around the players that are contributing the most. Nnaji will surely be feeling the pressure to prove to the Nuggets (and other teams) that’s he’s not just worth the current contract, but the next contract too.
Injuries will happen throughout the year and Nnaji will get opportunities as a result. Expecting starting power forward Aaron Gordon to play all 82 games at 30+ minutes a night is a foolish notion. Expecting the Nuggets bench to stay fully healthy behind him is also ludicrous. There will be a time when the Nuggets turn to Nnaji and expect him to fill a limited role.
Unless Nnaji excels in preseason at power forward, don’t expect those minutes to come on Opening Night though. Nnaji will have to earn that over the long haul, despite having the third longest tenure of any Nugget behind Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.