Denver Nuggets: 3 things to expect from Austin Rivers
By Adam Taylor
By this point, we all know that Austin Rivers and the Denver Nuggets will be extending their relationship by another season. It’s safe to assume that we also know RIvers will most likely be covering for Jamal Murray while he continues to recover from injury. But, beyond the obvious reasons for keeping RIvers in Denver this season, do we know how his presence affects the team’s championship hopes?
Obviously, expecting a role-playing guard to lead the line during the playoffs is a fickle affair. On the one hand, there’s always the chance they overperform. Still, on the other, the talent disparity could be the difference between an early-round exit or contending in the conference finals.
The Denver Nuggets and Austin Rivers learned lessons from both sides of this argument last season. For a while, operating with Rivers as the lead guard was encouraging as the team navigated its way into the second round of the Western Conference playoffs. Then both parties began to feel the weight of navigating a playoff tournament without the Nuggets second star in Jamal Murray.
Now, this isn’t to say that the Nuggets’ early exit was due to Rivers being the starting guard, nor is it stating that a healthy Murray sees them dispatch of the Phoenix Suns (the eventual West Coast finalists).
But, had Murray been healthy, then both the Denver Nuggets and Austin Rivers would’ve found themselves in much clearer waters.
Fast forward to the start of the 2021-22 NBA season, and both parties find themselves in precisely the same boat. Only this time, a few key differences will encourage both sides and offer the Nuggets a shining ray of hope as the playoffs edge closer.
Here are three things to expect from Austin Rivers this season.
Denver Nuggets: 3 things to expect from Austin Rivers: 1. A reliable Murray deputy
The current depth chart for the Nuggets guard rotation reads like this: Jamal Murray, Austin Rivers, Monte Morris, Facundo Campazzo, and Na’Shon Hyland.
We know Murray will be out for a while, and then when he does return, it will take a while for him to regain his powers. So, the Nuggets need a capable deputy to fill the void, and on the flip side, Murray needs somebody capable of reducing the pressure of being great right off the bat.
Sure, Monte Morris has improved year on year since entering the league, but he’s better served as an offensive option off the bench. In contrast, Campazzo is only a year into his NBA tenure and would also be a huge risk as the starting guard.
Enter RIvers, a battle-tested veteran who can create for others and find his own scoring opportunities. With the level of experience Rivers brings to the Nuggets starting lineup Murray and the training staff can feel confident not rushing the All-Star guard’s return.
Denver also has the luxury of running their offense through Nikola Jokic, which will allow Rivers to operate as a secondary playmaker and a fourth-option play finisher behind Nikola Jokic, Michael Porter Jr, and Aaron Gordon.
In Austin Rivers, the Denver Nuggets have a reliable starting guard to deputize for Murray as he rehabs from his injury, while he can also step back into the starting role if load management becomes a factor throughout the season.