The Denver Nuggets’ second unit has impressed so far this preseason.
The Denver Nuggets came into this preseason with a ton of hype surrounding their starting five, particularly Nikola Jokic.
Not to mention, man NBA fans are looking forward to seeing the young back court duo in Jamal Murray and Gary Harris and how far they can progress this coming regular season. Will Barton is a new addition to the starting rotation this year filling in Wilson Chandler‘s void at the wing spot.
Paul Millsap is a four time All Star who missed 44 games last year due to a wrist injury and will have a lot of eyes on him as he tries to balance out embracing a new role while trying to maintain his All Star status at the same time.
Denver Nuggets
However, this preseason, the stars of the Denver Nuggets has been the second unit. The same second unit which was inconsistent a year ago has saved the team from at least two embarrassing losses so far.
In the narrow victory over the Perth Wildcats, all five players with the second unit had a positive box plus/minus score and combined for 53 points which saved the team from losing to an Australian basketball team.
In the win over the Lakers on October 2, the second unit saw Mason Plumlee, Jokic’s back up, shoot 100% from the field while recording 23 points which was a game high in the two point win. In the same game, the second unit consisting of Mason Plumlee, Malik Beasley, Juancho Hernangomez, Trey Lyles and Donald Sloan combined for 54 points to go along with a combined nine rebounds.
While the sluggish starts for the starters are certainly cause for concern, what we need to realize is that the Denver Nuggets’ bench is going to be improved this year with another year of experience under their belt with some fresh faces.
Keep in mind, the bench is doing this good without even having Isaiah Thomas or Michael Porter Jr. added to the mix yet. Now, just imagine when they are healthy to come and play and get their team chemistry to gel with the rest of the core on the bench.
The Nuggets have a lot of work to do coming into the regular season, but the second unit could be a bright spot no one was expecting this year.
With this in mind, the second unit of Denver could take a lot of teams by surprise this season.