Denver Nuggets’ biggest offseason need: Another scoring wing
By Evan Siegel
The Nuggets are almost all the way there. Their deep roster and elite coaching has them on the cusp of championship contention. But they need one more scoring wing to put them over the top.
Will Barton, Gary Harris, and Torrey Craig appear to be Michael Malone’s best bets as primary wing scorers. The jury is still on Michael Porter Jr., who is only a couple years removed from his serious back injuries.
Porter Jr, totaled 7.5 points, and 4.1 rebounds per game in the 2019-2020 season before play stopped. Ideally, the Nuggets can see more production from their prized forward on the glass given his massive 6”10 frame.
But the Nuggets still need to find themselves another wing who can provide at least another 15 points per game throughout an entire season. Doing so will make their offense as feared as any in the league. Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic, and a third option on the wing will do wonders for Denver’s chances in the postseason.
The first name the Nuggets should consider is Buddy Hield. The former Oklahoma Sooner has fallen out of favor in Denver, but was still averaging 19.8 points per game when play stopped.
Hield’s elite three point shooting and penetrating ability are exactly what the Nuggets lack. While Craig and Porter Jr. have enough ability to create their own shot in a bind, finding a consistent offensive contributor like Hield is crucial. Hield is a career 41% three point shooter, and his marksmanship is desperately needed for a team lacking outside shooting.
The Nuggets’ three point shooting has declined each of the last two years, and in 2019 the team only hit the long ball at a 36% clip. The team’s shooting was of particular concern in the team’s 22 losses. In 43 wins the Nuggets shot 39% from three. In their losses, that total plummeted all the way down to 30%.
Living and dying by the three appears to be the name of the game in the NBA these days, but having such a reliance on average outside shooters making three balls is not a good way for the Nuggets to continue on.
Another name for the Nuggets to pay attention to is Danilo Gallinari. A potential reunion with their old starting small forward could be a bit awkward considering how unceremoniously Gallinari was shipped out of town, but he is just what the doctor ordered in Denver. Gallinari is quietly among the most productive small forwards in the league.
He stills shoots the three at 41%, is coming off a 19 point per game season with the Thunder, and can still provide as much of a scoring punch as any ancillary wing in the league. Acquiring Gallinari would mainly be a salary-matching proposition for the Nuggets, as getting off his inflated salary will be of great relief to the rebuilding Thunder.
Denver Nuggets: What the team will look like in three years. dark. Next
Should Denver be able to nab either Gallinari or Hield in a potential trade, the Nuggets should find themselves in the driver’s seat in the west. Their deep guard rotation and support around Nikola Jokic is continuing to take shape, and either available scoring forward will make them the most feared team in the western conference.