Strike 1: The NBA Trade deadline is one month away. It’s not too late to dream big. As in, another “big” for the Denver Nuggets.
But don’t count on it.
While many of us have been hoping for a trade of some sort to rejuvenate the roster, that doesn’t appear likely. The Nuggets brass absolutely does not want to trade their most tradeable asset, Michael Porter Jr. and it’s been well documented that they don’t have a lot else than can move on from, unless someone is willing to take on the oversized contracts of underperforming Zeke Nnaji and/or Dario Saric. That’s $13 million per year in combined salary. Those deals remove roster/salary cap flexibility and would be nearly impossible to move on from, considering Nnaji gets playing time only in blowouts, and the defensively challenged Saric never even takes off his warm ups. Unfortunately, both of those contracts fall under the category of “very expensive mistakes,” which are the kind that can cripple a team’s title hopes.
Denver would probably be a favorite to win another NBA title if they had, say, a Mason Plumlee or Zac Collins or Al Horford to step in and help Nikola Jokic on both ends. How much better would the Nuggets defense be if they had some legit rim protection, or at the very least some form of defensive hindrance that could camp in the paint? Heck, a guy like Memphis Grizzlies center Jay Huff, whom the Nuggets allowed to leave after playing sparingly here last season, would be a very welcome addition right about now.
Sigh.
For argument’s sake, let’s go ahead and assume the cast of characters doesn’t change between now and March, when the stretch drive really begins. It’s become apparent that Denver is most likely going to go wire-to-wire with the roster as is, meaning improvements will have to come from within. That’s kind of a big ask at this point, but still, serious upgrades from current Nugget players and the Nuggets as a team are possible. and imperative.
With more than half the season still to play, what exactly would it take to get Denver back to title contending status?
Individually, are the recent improvements from Jamal Murray and MPJ for keeps? Can Christian Braun continue his ascent as well? How long will Aaron Gordon’s troublesome calf injury (the type of ailment that has historically been a precursor to Achilles tendon issues) keep him off the court?
Can the rim protector formerly known as DeAndre Jordan find the fountain of youth and be able to continue to spell Nikola Jokic somewhat effectively? Joker is playing almost 38 minutes per game, which is waaaaaaaay too many minutes and could become a huge issue late in the season. Can Julian Strawther find some consistency in his 3-point shot and his play at the defensive end? Can Peyton Watson’s offense ever match his defense? And what can Jalen Pickett and Hunter Tyson offer, if anything, in terms of productivity and quality minutes down the stretch?
As a team, the Nuggets bench – including some starters who stay on the floor when Joker takes a breather – continues to play deep into the “minus” category when their best player isn’t out there. Is there any way to turn that around, and have the bench become at least less of a liability?
Most importantly, can this group – Jokic included – find a way to play muuuuuuch better team defense, especially on the perimeter? They continue to get buried by the opponent’s 3-point shooting (while not being able to answer themselves at the offensive end) and when they do get out (mostly late) to contest threes, they instead give up a lot of unencumbered drives to the basket. The lack of a rim protector is especially glaring against guys like the Spurs Victor Wembanyana, OKC’s Chet Holmgren and Houston’s Alperen Sengun, guys they could very definitely run up against in the Western Conference playoffs.
Head coach Michael Malone preaches defense, defense, defense. Will anyone ever actually listen?
Tuesday night’s home game against the defending champion Boston Celtics might provide a hint. No one will be shocked if Denver wins the game, because that’s what the Nuggets often do in these situations. But what would it all mean?
Make no mistake, the Nuggets are capable of rising up and beating teams like Boston on a given night. The question that needs to be answered is if they can win a drawn out battle of attrition against Western Conference foes who are, at the moment, better equipped.
