The Denver Nuggets may have found their power forward of the future in the young Trey Lyles.
The Denver Nuggets received Trey Lyles from the Utah Jazz in exchange for the 13th overall pick in the draft last summer.
At the time, it was a move which had many Nuggets fans questioning the move, including myself. However, I was wrong. While the Jazz used the pick to land Donovan Mitchell, what the Nuggets got was an underrated power forward.
Lyles proved to be one of Denver’s most versatile weapons this past season. He can use his size to post up, shoot the jump shot and even showed some tiny flashes of brilliance on the defensive end.
What is most important is he seemed to thrive in the Nuggets’ offensive scheme. A scheme which incorporates key ball movement while utilizing a shooter’s skill set. He was a solid piece who provided a spark off the bench when needed. Lyles even looked comfortable playing alongside Nikola Jokic, which is a great sign for the future.
Per basketball reference.com, Lyles had an improvement in almost every facet of the game compared to his Jazz tenure. This past season, Lyles averaged 9.9 points per game, 4.8 rebounds per game and also shot an effective field goal percentage of 56.6%. Where Denver saw a significant increase in his production was in his offensive rating. Lyles increased his offensive rating from 94 to a solid 116.
Even though he is not a flashy player and isn’t going to provide us with triple doubles night in and night out, he fits perfectly in Denver’s mold. As a result, he is going to be another fixture in the process which the Nuggets are currently trying to perfect.
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A fixture who will be prepared to take over the starting role at the four spot in the future.