Defensive Lineup
PG: Will Barton
SG: Gary Harris
SF: Torrey Craig
PF: Paul Millsap
C: Mason Plumlee
While this may not be the most conventional lineup, it would get the job done on the defensive end of the ball.
It may be a little weird to see Will Barton at PG, but he would be the best ball handler on this lineup. Not to mention, his length added on to his athleticism would make him a good candidate to guard the league’s smallest position. He will likely have more success guarding point guards than small forwards next season, and he isn’t an atrocious defender, which is something you can’t really say about any other potential point guard on this roster.
Denver Nuggets
I think that most Nuggets fans know about Gary Harris’ defensive ability. He averaged 1.8 steals per game last season(6th highest in the league) and became the 5th player in Nuggets history to average 1.8+ steals and 17+ points per game in a season. He allowed his opponents to shoot just 44.8% from the floor and 34.4% from 3-point range, both well below league averages. He also shut down the likes of James Harden(1.0 ppg, 13.3 possessions per game against Harris), Devin Booker(8.0 ppg, 35.5 possessions per game against Harris), DeMar DeRozan(7.0 ppg, 13.0 possessions per game against Harris, Steph Curry(1.7 ppg, 10.7 possessions), Donovan Mitchell(5.3 ppg, 22.3 possessions), Paul George(5.3 ppg, 25.0 possessions), Damian Lillard(2.0 ppg, 12.0 possessions), and Kevin Durant(0.7 ppg, 3.0 possessions). Not too shabby for a guy who got just 3 Second Team All-Defensive votes.
Torrey Craig wasn’t a lock down defender his first year in the league, but he was a pretty good defender for a rookie. Craig allowed his opponents to shoot 43.7% from the floor and 35.6% from 3, below league averages. CJ McCollum, James Harden, Bradley Beal, Donovan Mitchell, Lou Williams, Kyrie Irving, and DeMar DeRozan all shot 0% on FG attempts against Craig last season. He was also the only player on the Nuggets shorter than 6’8 to have a block percentage of 2.0%+. He will only get better with more experience in the league.
Paul Millsap is a defensive fiend. He was one of 8 players to average 1 steal and 1 block per game last season and he had the lowest DRtg on the Nuggets(107.1). When he was on the court last year, the Nuggets opponent’s offensive rating was 109.7, which would have ranked as the 16th best in the league, a massive improvement from the Nuggets actual 5th worst defensive rating in the league. If he plays 70+ games next season(which he has done all but 3 seasons in his career), the Nuggets will be a significantly improved defensive squad.
And finally, Mason Plumlee. He isn’t an amazing defensive center, but he is decent enough to get the nod over Nikola Jokic in the defensive lineup. He had the highest DBPM on the Nuggets last year(2.7) and the 17th highest in the league(min. 1000 minutes played). He had the highest block percentage on the Nuggets(4.7%) and the 12th highest in the league(min. 1000 minutes played). He may be overpaid, but he can still play defense.