Finding the Perfect Rotation for the Denver Nuggets
With the Denver Nuggets off to a 1-5 start, there is no question that major adjustments need to be made to the rotation. Despite making few additions in the offseason (and even their biggest acquisition, Arron Afflalo, played with the team two years prior), the Nuggets have almost no chemistry and look lost on both ends of the floor.
In order to start putting wins together, coach Brian Shaw must find a rotation that can move the ball on offense and can play disciplined team defense. If not, the Nuggets will continue to struggle and find themselves with an early lottery pick come June.
There is no question the talent is there for the Nuggets, but individual capability alone won’t be enough to make them a playoff team in the West. They must soon find a way of becoming a cohesive unit.
Read ahead to learn how the Denver Nuggets should divvy up the minutes by position to achieve the chemistry they so badly need.
Point Guard
One of the Nuggets’ biggest problems is their lack of ball movement on offense. They currently rank 22nd in the NBA in assists per game, and the large absence of passing has forced them to take many ill-advised shots. This has made scoring very difficult for Denver, as opposing defenses are able to stay in position and limit the Nuggets’ open looks.
Ty Lawson is the only player on the Nuggets capable of igniting the offense by setting up teammates and making sure the ball moves around. He is currently leading the team in both scoring and assists, and he deserves to play close to 40 minutes per night at point guard.
Nate Robinson is capable of providing a spark off the bench, but his erratic shooting and me-first attitude have caused the Nuggets second unit to look flat and lost. With Robinson on the floor, Denver’s offense has almost zero passing ability and makes it very easy for opposing teams to defend against.
Robinson is currently averaging 15.5 minutes per night, but Denver would be much better off if that number was cut to 8-10 minutes per game.
Shooting Guard
After starting the year averaging 15.0 points per game, Afflalo has been much worse over the last three games, averaging 6.7 points in those contests. Afflalo’s sporadic shooting has been one of the main reasons the Nuggets have been blown out in recent games.
However, Afflalo still brings quality defense and doesn’t force anything when his shot isn’t going. He is one of the most mature players on the roster at age 29 and knows how to play within himself.
The Nuggets would be foolish to play Afflalo fewer minutes, even considering his recent struggles, since they are so dependent on veteran leadership and discipline right now to help them win games.
Randy Foye has been one of the few pleasant surprises for the Nuggets in 2014-15. The 6’4" shooting guard currently has an effective field-goal percentage of 57.3 percent and is second on the team in PER at 18.91.
Foye has struggled on the other end (he has a defensive rating of 113.2), but so has the majority of the roster. Because of that, playing a defensive stopper instead of Foye isn’t even an option. He is currently averaging just over 22 minutes per game, although 25-28 minutes would be more appropriate given his offensive prowess this season.
Small Forward
The small forward position has by far been the Nuggets’ biggest weakness this season. The group has failed to put up points, taken bad shots and looked lost on the defensive end.
Danilo Gallinari has looked extremely rusty after coming off of a knee injury that forced him to miss the entire 2013-14 campaign. He has struggled to regain his shooting form, putting up just 6.0 points per game while hitting 22 percent of his shots from the field.
If Gallinari cannot find a way to double that percentage quickly, he will find himself fighting to find minutes for the remainder of the 2014-15 season.
Shaw has tried putting Wilson Chandler in at the starting small forward position in recent games, but the results haven’t been much better, as his player efficiency rating of 7.5 is last on the team.
The only small forward who has played decent this year is Alonzo Gee.
Gee looked like the guy no one wanted this summer after being traded three times and waived once. However, he has been a pleasant surprise for Denver, posting an offensive rating of 104.9 and an effective field-goal percentage of 47 percent.
The Nuggets would be wise to hand the starting duties to Gee if Gallinari and Chandler continue to struggle. Not only has he proven his worth, but he has shown in the past he can handle the added minutes, as he started in 166 games in his four seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Power Forward
Injuries aside, Kenneth Faried should start every game at power forward for the Nuggets for the remainder of the season. The 6’8" big man has the most complete offensive game of the group and isn’t the liability he was defensively in years past.
Faried hasn’t looked spectacular this season like he did in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, but he is still posting an above-average player efficiency rating of 16.79 and is rebounding well at 8.7 per game. Coach Shaw would be foolish to reduce Faried’s minutes any further.
J.J. Hickson returned from a five-game suspension against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night and showed what the Nuggets were missing during his absence. Hickson gobbled up 31.12 percent of the rebounds available when he was on the floor, proving he should be the first big man off the bench.
Since Hickson is capable of playing power forward and center, the Nuggets would be wise to play him at both positions at 20-25 minutes per night to get the most out of him.
Darrell Arthur was serviceable in Hickson’s absence, but there is no question that he deserves to be third on the depth chart. In order to give Faried and Hickson the minutes they deserve, Arthur should play about 8-10 minutes a night.
Center
The Nuggets’ most productive position so far this season has been at center. They post the top three defensive ratings and are in the top six in effective field-goal percentage on the team.
The starter of the group is Timofey Mozgov, a 7-footer who plays within himself offensively and plays great defense down low. Mozgov has been more productive when he isn’t asked to play as many minutes, so it’s best if Denver puts him in the 20-25 minute range.
After losing his starting job to Mozgov, JaVale McGee has done a terrific job embracing the backup role. He’s near the top of the league in field-goal percentage and is posting a ridiculous block percentage of 11.4 percent.
McGee still makes pointless mistakes at times, but Denver can live with them if he continues to produce in other areas. Playing him 15-20 minutes per night would be most appropriate.
Although Jusuf Nurkic has been productive in his limited playing time with Denver, averaging 5.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, his lack of experience has also hurt the team. The big man is very turnover prone (1.8 turnovers per game) and looks lost defensively at times. It appears the Nuggets have a good player ahead of them, but Mozgov is a similar player without the headaches.
The Nuggets are better off having a four-man rotation of Faried, Mozgov, McGee and Hickson at power forward/center and letting Nurkic sit and learn from the veterans.
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