Denver Nuggets post trade deadline outlook

The Denver Nuggets made some splash moves before the trade deadline bringing in Aaron Gordon and bringing back JaVale McGee. The Nuggets and fans should be excited about adding athleticism to the backcourt where the team was lacking. The Nuggets haven’t had big-time athletes in the backcourt for a while, since Kenneth Faried days and when JaVale McGee first played with the Nuggets.

How will Aaron Gordon fit in with the Denver Nuggets?

Aaron Gordon has a fresh start and will look to redefine his game to fit into the Nuggets style of play. First and foremost the Nuggets will look to rely on him to play defense against bigger players with length. Aaron Gordon is 6”8, but also has a bigger build that can provide strength when guarding the likes of Kawhi Leonard, Luka Doncic, Paul George, and LeBron James. He’s shown the ability to be a solid defender, and now with coach Malone, that will be a major focus going forward.

Gordon will most likely be interchangeable at the 3 and 4 positions along with Michael Porter Jr.  Those two on the court along with Jokic gives Denver a good amount of length and size, especially while being able to rotate JaVale McGee into the mix. The JaVale McGee addition was a no-brainer as the Nuggets lacked rim protection. As great as Nikola Jokic is, the ONLY thing you could pick at about his game is that he’s not a rim protector.

Gordon should immediately get a lot of time with the starting unit in place of Millsap. If everyone is indeed healthy,  the projected starting lineup could look like: Monte Morris, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr, Aaron Gordon, and Nikola Jokic. The only change could be if Malone decides to slide Barton to the 2 and Murray back to the point guard while having Monte Morris run the second unit.

Either way, this is an offense run by the MVP candidate Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets just gave him a new teammate in Gordon he can utilize and should have a lot of fun playing alongside. Back when the Nuggets had Kenneth Faried paired with Jokic, Jokic would find Faried cutting and running the floor with a lot of exquisite passes and lobs. One could expect to see a similar style with Gordon and both being in sync, playing off one another.

It is yet to be seen if Malone will decide to give JaVale McGee minutes alongside Jokic, it’s certainly a possibility for a few minutes a game as Jokic has proven to play well with another athletic big. Most likely he will be relied on as the back-up center that gives the second unit rim protection and another lob option.

However, it should be a lot for opposing defenses to handle with having to know where Murray, MPJ, Gordon, and Jokic are on the court at all times. That is a good mix of shooting, athleticism, creativity, and passing ability between the four players, add in Monte Morris known for his great decision making or Will Barton who can do a little bit of everything, the Nuggets find themselves with a very nice lineup.

The Nuggets recently played the Orlando Magic and apparently, Tim Connelly flew back to Denver with Aaron Gordon and they spoke about how he will fit with the Denver Nuggets. Gordon is fully aware of the talent of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray and their dangerous 2-man game, and like Michael Porter Jr, he will have to learn how to play along with them and pick his spots. Jokic will make Gordon’s life easier and vice versa. During Aaron Gordon’s introductory press conference, he spoke on how he could help with his cutting ability, running the floor, hitting his open shots, and also mentioned that he himself is an underrated passer.

Aaron Gordon is averaging close to 15 points per game shooting 44% from the field and a career best 40% from deep. The Nuggets most likely won’t look for him to score too much or as much as he’s used to but you can expect the field goal percentage to go up as he will see easier looks off of assists and straight hustle. If he can continue to knock down the 3 pointer at a good clip it makes the Nuggets all the more dangerous.

One thing for sure, other teams around the league can see what’s going on in Denver and their fans should be excited for what’s to come. For Denver fans, with Jokic being an MVP candidate, Murray finding his groove, MPJ’s continued growth, and this Aaron Gordon addition, this is peak excitement for the Denver Nuggets. You can’t help but feel excited about the potential of the core players and the near future for this franchise.