Denver Nuggets vs Portland Trail Blazers: 10 Note-Worthy Takeaways

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Oct 16, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) dribbles around Denver Nuggets guard Jameer Nelson (1) during the second quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports /

#8- Jameer Nelson semi-effective, but draining valuable minutes

This is not a knock on Jameer Nelson. The 12-year veteran and former All-Star is a great asset. On the floor, he does seem like the most experienced guard with highest current basketball IQ.

But with a lack of size and dwindling speed, he is not very effective offensively or defensively.
Jameer did put up a solid 12 pts, 3 reb, and 4 assists, and did look consistent in his play. One downside to Nelson on defense is his small stature, especially compared to the Nuggets younger/bigger guards.

He does have the body language of a vet, but lacks the speed he had as a younger player (which hurts at his size). His biggest asset to the team is a rookie mentor, which he has seemed unfriendly to the idea of mentoring more than playing.

The Nuggets looked better with Jamal Murray at the helm, and backup PG minutes will be hard to come by behind Mudiay. Even Malik Beasley looked like he has more potential.

Sure he is raw, but doesn’t he deserve more of a share in a meaningless preseason game than Nelson to help his development?

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