Denver Nuggets have an underrated X-Factor in P.J. Dozier

The Denver Nuggets have a lot to look forward to and their future is bright. Nikola Jokic is having an MVP season, Jamal Murray has become more reliable and is proving to be very clutch, and perhaps the biggest thing is the integration of Michael Porter Jr. and his growth.

The addition of Facu Campazzo and his hustle brings excitement and intensity to the team as well. Last but not least, the Nuggets made a splash trade to acquire Aaron Gordon who they will look to be a versatile player on the offensive and defensive end. But there’s another versatile player on the roster who we shouldn’t forget about because the Nuggets will need his contributions come playoff time.

P.J. Dozier is the Denver Nugget’s swiss army knife X-factor they will need in the playoffs

There is an underrated and underappreciated young player on the Nuggets who is still learning the NBA game by the name of P.J. Dozier. Dozier has turned himself into quite the swiss army knife “do it all” type of player for the Nuggets.

Firstly, he is a point guard that has the basketball body of a lanky small forward that teams look for these days with a long 6’6″ frame. You can place P.J. in with any lineup as the 1, 2, or 3 position because the best thing about him is that he is a very good defender and oh boy does coach Malone love that!

His 6’6″ frame makes it difficult for other point guards, but also you can feel confident enough if he is guarding the opposing team’s small forward as well. He’s your all-around player who isn’t given enough credit for his playmaking ability but he can run a two-man game with Jokic or any other big-man.

(via @TJMcBrideNBA)

(via @TJMcBrideNBA)

(via @CTFazio24)

P.J. also excels at cutting to the basket, he doesn’t just stand around waiting for a shot. P.J. looks for the opportunity to move without the ball and understands the timing of when to cut, especially when playing with Jokic. Player movement without the ball is the Nuggets bread and butter and you can count on P.J. to do just that.

(via @JoelRushNBA)

(via @JoelRushNBA)

P.J. is an effective player because of these strengths, he can handle the ball setting up his teammates and he’s shown he can score for himself as well. P.J. can get to the rim and with his size, finishing at the rim is natural for him. He was having a good shooting season early on in the season, but it is still streaky. Shooting is an aspect of his game he continues to work on, but there have been improvements since he first came to the Nuggets.

P.J. can get himself into some trouble forcing the issue a bit and sometimes finds himself off-balanced, taking a tough shot, or dribbling into too much traffic.

When he lets the game come to him naturally within the Nuggets offense is when he’s at his best and this is something he continues to get better at and he will continue to gain the trust of coach Malone for valuable minutes on the court. If P.J. can pick and choose his spots better and figure out when and when not to be aggressive he is a very solid player.

Here was one of his better games of the season so far.

Malone started to trust P.J .with minutes in the playoffs last year and he was effective with his defense, his cutting, and ball handling. That was nice to see especially because the Nuggets very often in that playoff run were in high-pressure games being down 3-1 twice.

But that trust carried over into this season, there have been many lineups the Nuggets have thrown out there trying to figure out the right combinations, but one thing that was evident early on was that PJ Dozier was consistently in the rotation getting minutes.

One thing for sure is that the Denver Nuggets will need P.J. Dozier’s contributions. P.J.’s minutes down the stretch and into the playoffs will need to be impactful, mainly as a defender against special scoring guards in the western conference. A player that the Nuggets used to count on now that Gary Harris is gone, and look for P.J. Dozier to take on that role as someone you put on the likes of Donovan Mitchell or Damian Lillard.

Malone values P.J. and the type of player that he is and it could prove to be a wise decision to do so as P.J. could find himself being an important piece to the Nuggets future if he continues to buy in and work on his game.  Being on a roster that is growing into a strong contender will mean he has a chance to play some meaningful minutes surrounded by a lot of good talent.