How does P.J. Dozier signing alter Nuggets’ offseason?

Signing point guard P.J. Dozier can shift the Denver Nuggets’ entire offseason.

Per The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider, the Denver Nuggets aren’t converting guard P.J. Dozier’s Two-Way contract to a standard contract but they’re signing the 23-year-old South Carolina native to a multi-year contract. In effect, this shows that they see Dozier as part of their future, which shouldn’t be surprising considering the raving review that Nuggets head coach Mike Malone gave about him in October.

Following the Nuggets’ final preseason game, Nuggets.com’s Alex Labidou would quote Malone as saying “I love P.J. P.J. Dozier is an NBA player… He’s strong and physical and an excellent pick-and-roll player. He’s shifty, he can get to the basket. He finds guys and he’s never rattled. He plays with great composure out there, [plays] under control. So, I think PJ has it.”

Malone isn’t the only one who was impressed by Dozier, as virtually the entire starting lineup would complement the cousin of late Boston Celtics star Reggie Lewis.

Per Labidou, Jamal Murray’s review of Dozier is that “he’s a big body to guard, he can shoot, he can get to the rim. His in-and-out is crazy. He kind of does everything on the court. He gets steals and he’s very active. That boy can hoop.”

After Dozier’s debut with the Nuggets in January, Nuggets franchise center Nikola Jokic says that Dozier “can handle the ball. He’s a really good point guard. He can rebound. He’s really good at finding the pocket pass and cross-court pass, just because of his size, he can see. He can score too, and he’s kind of smooth. I like his game.” (per The DNVR’s Harrison Wind)

Meanwhile, Nuggets starting small forward Will Barton would add that “He’s a part of the future. I talk to him all the time telling him to keep his head up and his time will come. He’s an NBA talent for sure… Definitely a rotation guy in the NBA at worst.”

With the opinions of the majority of Denver’s key players and head coach noted, what does it mean for the Nuggets going forward?

Drafting a small forward

Even if Denver hasn’t considered moving Murray back to shooting guard full-time, they did need depth at the point guard position so that they could allow the team’s second-leading scorer to play his natural position with a greater frequency. Unless they’re looking at bringing in a top-tier point guard through trade or free agency, it would seem like they’re set a point guard moving forward.

That means that during the draft and free agency, they’re going to be focusing on their frontcourt. If they’re banking on Paul Millsap or Jerian Grant remaining with the team this offseason, that would likely result in them focusing on bringing in a small forward during the NBA Draft.

For one, the Nuggets selected a center in the 2019 NBA Draft (Bol Bol) and drafting a center just one year after Bol isn’t the best use of their resources. In addition, center is one of the most difficult positions to learn in the NBA and it’s completely possible that the Nuggets would be drafting a player that has a low chance of playing in the rotation for multiple seasons. It would be better to bring in a veteran center to play behind Jokic (or in front of Bol).

In addition, backup small forward Torrey Craig (another player whose Two-Way contract with the Nuggets was converted to a standard contract) will be a free agent this offseason. His price tag is unlikely to be an issue and he’s been an important role player in Denver but they can certainly find an upgrade, particularly a player who’s younger and a better perimeter shooter (Craig has shot 32.1% from 3 for his career).

Dozier averaged 21.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.6 steals per game in the G League this season so he has the versatility and two-way impact to make his mark in Denver. He also has the ability to alter the Nuggets’ entire offseason, simply because of the position he plays and the confidence the team has in him.