Denver Nuggets Power Rankings: Evaluating Full Roster After 1st Month
The Denver Nuggets’ season has been up and down so far in 2014-15, but as of now they sit second in the Northwest Division.
Bad ball movement and poor decision-making led to an anemic offense early on, and their lack of chemistry and positioning plagued them on defense.
However, the Nuggets have changed their style of play over the last week-and-a-half and now look like a team that could battle for a playoff spot in the tough Western Conference.
Denver is currently on a four-game winning streak, averaging 107.8 points per game over that span, according to Hoops Habit. It also looks much better on defense, giving up 97 points per game over that same stretch.
Read ahead for a breakdown of the Nuggets’ roster and how each player has performed so far this year.
The Bench Players (11-15)
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15. Erick Green
Green has played in just nine minutes in 2014-15 but looked impressive in that brief stretch. He may have the opportunity to see more court time if Nate Robinson continues to struggle.
14. Gary Harris
Harris has been very inconsistent in his brief NBA career. In his first game, he put up 13 points but failed to score in his second game. Harris does not figure to make a big impact this season.
13. Jusuf Nurkic
Nurkic has been a force on the boards for the Nuggets in 2014-15. Unfortunately, his foul trouble and overall poor decision-making have become a major concern, so do not expect him to play many minutes for Denver going forward.
12. Alonzo Gee
With Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler struggling early on, Alonzo Gee had an opportunity to seize the starting small forward spot. Instead, he has shot just 40 percent from the field and is averaging 12.8 minutes per game. With Gallinari’s solid play in recent games, Gee may see his role diminish even further.
11. Darrell Arthur
Arthur filled in as the backup power forward when J.J. Hickson was serving a suspension. The 6'9" power forward played admirably during that stretch, and his player efficiency rating of 17.15 makes him one of the top bench options on the roster.
Unfortunately for Arthur, Denver is loaded with big men, so unless someone gets injured, he will struggle to find minutes.
10. Nate Robinson
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The least productive player in Denver’s rotation has been Nate Robinson. Not only have Robinson’s numbers been horrendous (he’s shooting just 36.1 percent from the field), but he has also made everyone around him worse.
The role of a backup point guard is to control the tempo, set up teammates and play within the offense. Robinson has done none of these things as his selfish play has created poor chemistry among Denver’s second unit. In addition, Robinson’s defense has been poor with a rating of 111.2 points given up per 100 possessions.
If this lowly play continues, the Nuggets may be better off having Erick Green take over the backup duties or finding a better option in free agency.
9. Danilo Gallinari
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There is no question that Danilo Gallinari has been a huge disappointment for Denver so far, as he has already lost his starting job and is shooting an abysmal 34.1 percent. However, Gallinari has looked better lately, averaging 13.5 PPG and shooting a combined 8-of-17 from the field over the last two games.
Coming off knee surgery that caused him to miss the entire 2013-14 campaign, it is understandable that Gallinari would start the year rusty. With his recent play, there is some hope he can continue to improve and end up having a solid season for Denver.
8. Randy Foye
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Foye lost his starting job to Arron Afflalo this season but has done a solid job as the backup shooting guard. Foye has averaged 15.9 points per 36 minutes and is shooting 78.9 percent from the line.
Unfortunately for Denver, Foye has struggled to put up his quality numbers in an efficient manner. He is shooting just 37.5 percent from the field and below his career average from the three-point line.
Denver will need Foye to put up more efficient numbers going forward, as far too many players on the roster are shooting a low percentage from the field already.
7. JaVale McGee
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JaVale McGee has done a solid job in his new role playing backup center. The big man is shooting a ridiculous 59.6 percent from the field and averaging an impressive 3.4 blocks per 36 minutes according to basketball-reference.com.
However, he is still relatively turnover-prone at 2.9 per 36 minutes, and his passing skills are still very poor for a big man.
Overall, Denver should be happy with McGee so far this season as the good outweighs the bad. He will probably never live up to his potential, but the Nuggets should be happy if he can become someone they can rely on coming off the bench.
6. Wilson Chandler
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Wilson Chandler has done a serviceable job filling in for Gallinari as the starting small forward on the roster. His 12.6 PPG are good for fourth on the team, and he has played solid defense on the wing.
However, Chandler has not been efficient scoring the basketball as his shooting percentage of 42 percent is poor for a player in the starting five. If Gallinari continues to shake off the rust and look more like the player he was two years ago, Chandler may find himself back on the bench.
With players such as Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder), Nicolas Batum (Portland Trail Blazers) and Gordon Hayward (Utah Jazz) in their division, the Nuggets must get better play out of their small forwards if they wish to contend.
5. J.J. Hickson
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The most efficient player on Denver’s roster this season has been J.J. Hickson. The 6’9" big man has been putting up monster numbers in his limited action and is averaging 15.8 points and 16.2 rebounds per 36 minutes.
Hickson is most suitable as a bench player because his energy and intensity are two of his main strengths. However, that doesn’t mean his time on the floor should be limited as a result. Brian Shaw is doing Denver a disservice by only playing him 15.9 minutes per game.
Hickson is capable of playing both power forward and center and should be able to average close to a double-double if his minutes are increased to about 25 per game.
4. Timofey Mozgov
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Another player who has gotten off to a good start in 2014-15 is Timofey Mozgov. He took over the starting center duties at the end of last season and has provided solid play on both sides of the ball for the Nuggets.
Mozgov does a very good job of understanding his role, which is why he has become one of Shaw's favorite players. He is averaging 9.2 points and 7.4 rebounds in just 24.9 minutes per game while shooting 52 percent from the field.
Mozgov doesn’t do much outside of his comfort zone, but his solid and reliable play has made him one of Denver’s most consistent players.
3. Arron Afflalo
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Arron Afflalo has done a fine job as the starting shooting guard in 2014-15. The eight-year veteran is second on the team in scoring at 13.8 PPG and putting up an offensive rating of 115.2.
Afflalo is one of the few veterans on the team, so his leadership and quality decision-making—he is averaging just 0.6 turnovers per game—make him a reliable option for Coach Shaw.
If there is one thing that Afflalo must improve on, it’s his defense. His rating of 112.9 points allowed per 100 possessions is second-worst on the team. Afflalo is capable of stopping opponents, so it’s up to him to improve on that side of the ball.
2. Kenneth Faried
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Kenneth Faried has been one of Denver’s best players in 2014-15, with an offensive rating of 110.9. Faried’s biggest improvement has been in his mid-range game where he can now knock down a jump shot with consistency.
This has helped to create more space around the key for the non-shooters on the roster. The Nuggets don’t have many long-range shooters on their squad, so Faried’s shot-making ability has really been a key for Denver early on.
For the Nuggets to really excel, Faried must find a way to increase his scoring.
He has been efficient, shooting 50.8 percent, but his 11.6 PPG is not good enough for a second or third option. A bump up to 14-16 PPG would make the Nuggets a legitimate threat to make the postseason in the West.
1. Ty Lawson
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There is no question that Ty Lawson has been the Denver Nuggets’ best player this season, as the 5’11" point guard is leading the team in both points and assists.
While his scoring has been good so far, Lawson is at his best when he’s sharing the ball and getting his teammates involved. The five-year veteran is averaging 9.8 assists per game this year, good for fourth in the NBA.
Denver looked like it could be headed for an early lottery pick when it started 1-6, but it's since gone 5-1. The Nuggets' current streak can be credited to Lawson, who is averaging 12.2 APG during that span.
Lawson has been the MVP so far for Denver and could make his first trip to the All-Star Game if he keeps it up.
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