Denver Nuggets: Pros and cons to season restarting

Con: Development of younger players

Michael Porter Jr., Monte Morris, and Jerami Grant were all getting better and better, and needed the last little leg of the season to get them ready for a postseason duel. All three have been in the playoffs, but none saw extended roles. Grant was acquired by the Nuggets after they gave up a first round pick for him before the season, while Morris and Porter Jr. were there to see the teams collapse in game seven against the Trail Blazers.

Denver did not make any major moves at the trade deadline, signifying that they are going to war with the guys they’ve got. But in the event that Jamal Murray, Will Barton, or Nikola Jokic hurt themselves in a playoff game, one of the three aforementioned players will be thrusted into a position they are not completely familiar with, and will have to pick up the slack for a team playing another western conference foe.

Porter Jr. has slowly been fazed in over the course of the season. When play stopped, he was averaging 14 minutes a game, as they try to nurse him back to 100 percent health after an extended injury history in college. While his opportunities were limited, Porter Jr. still cranked out a remarkable 49.5 percent shooting clip and 42 percent from beyond the arc. But the sudden stoppage of play has interrupted the development of his confidence as the postseason nears.

Michael Malone is going to have to trust his younger players to pick up where they left off and help push the Nuggets back to the doorstep of the western conference finals, and potentially further should the ball bounce their way.