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Way-Too-Early Projections for the Nuggets Starting Line-up

By Blake Holmes

Apr 9, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) dunks the ball during the first half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 9, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) dunks the ball during the first half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 13, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Juancho Hernangomez (41) reacts in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 13, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Juancho Hernangomez (41) reacts in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

Starting at power forward, standing at 6-9 from Spain, Juancho Hernangomez.

You know who turned some heads with his impressive performance this season? Juancho Hernangomez. I’m not ashamed to admit that I had pretty low expectations that were shattered by his play. We had seen the international experiments for a while, and I thought he was just another roster spot.

Well, I was wrong, and a lot of others were wrong as well, as I say he should be in the starting line-up next season. Who knew that he would have one of the sweetest strokes on the roster at the beginning of this season? If you did, I applaud you, as I was thoroughly impressed again and again by the Spaniard.

Speaking of that stroke, Hernangomez shot an insane 44 percent from three this year (per basketball-reference). This included a 32 point game against the Warriors, where he shot 60% from beyond the arc. I’ve been saying all season long that he needs more minutes, along with Malik Beasley, and I truly mean it again this time.

That’s a high three-point percentage for anybody, especially a forward/big man who was given pretty low expectations early on. Not to mention, he’s only a rookie! He still has a few things to get over before he can really take that next step, but the potential is great with this guy.

His defense is spotty at times, as he seems afraid at time to cover the star player when he gets switched to him. This was exposed when the Nuggets faced the Cavaliers earlier this season, and LeBron scored multiple times on him. Denver won the game, but that was a hole in Hernangomez’s game.

I had low expectations in the beginning, and now I’m having high expectations for next season.

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