AskNuggLove: Denver Nuggets Mailbag Roundtable

Should Wilson Chandler start or come off the bench?

Kyle Standfield: Up until Mid-December, when Coach Malone inserted Nikola Jokic into the starting line up, Wilson Chandler was the Denver Nuggets’ best player. He did that despite predominantly coming off the bench and I think thats where his skill set is best maximized on this Nuggets squad. The Nuggets featured one of the best second units in the league in the early part of the season and it was a real weapon for Malone. Granted, the starting line-up struggled mightily which forced the bench to pick up the slack, but still, the bench was absolutely amazing when being led by Chandler. The starters ineptitude  forced Malone to make Chandler a starter, but with the starting unit now thriving on offense thanks to Nikola Jokic, its time for Chandler to go back to the bench permanently and become the incredible weapon he was for the Nuggets in the earlier part of the season. Kenneth Faried gets my vote as the guy that should start next to Jokic.

Blake Holmes: It honestly depends on the team that Denver is playing. If the Nuggets want to play small ball, yes, throw him in at the power forward position. If not, I think he plays a big role as the sixth man. Gallo has been playing pretty well as of late, and I don’t think that he should be taken out right now. That does not mean that Chandler can’t play a lot of minutes off of the bench, since he could play the small forward or power forward position whenever Denver needs him to.

J.J Vega: That’s a tricky question and I have often discussed it. Chandler’s production off the bench was marvelous. Putting huge games every night that he came to play. He really was putting the team on his shoulders. Ever since he started, the Nuggets offense has run a lot better and more smoother, but his numbers have dropped a bit. And even though the Nuggets have become one of the most offensive teams in the league, they can’t seem to make a huge impact. So, should they keep the offensive pace or should they try to change the system to how it was, running Chandler through the second unit? Honestly, I prefer the second option. The Nuggets bench is very unpredictable sometimes. And I think Chandler has been one of the most consistent players on the team this season. Malone should use that as an advantage and make him come off the bench. He can still close out games alongside Gallinari, which to me is a great combo of forwards.

Mike Wilson: For being our third highest paid Nugget at $11m this year, I’d say he needs to be on the court earning that check but I do like what he brings to the second rotation. With 8 years in the NBA, he brings much-needed experience to our blossoming players, along with Nelson. Malone has made veteran leadership a point following the last Sacramento Kings blow out.