Denver Nuggets: Without Jamal Murray, team will look to Will Barton and Austin Rivers

What Austin Rivers brings to the Denver Nuggets in Jamal Murray’s absence?

Sub-Zero returns to Denver on a one-year deal looking to recapture the magic he cooked up in the playoffs for the Nuggets last year when he torched the Portland Trail Blazers for 69 points in the conference quarterfinals, including a 21-point outburst in Game 3 in which he ripped off 16 points in the fourth quarter alone.

Denver was starved for athletic guards when Rivers showed up to save the day last year, eating up at least 20 minutes in every playoff game in the wake of the Murray injury. Rivers can capitalize on a wonderful chance the Nuggets are giving him to be a source of points and inspiration in the mile-high.

Rivers can start or come off the bench for Denver, as his five starts in the regular season and nine starts in the playoffs last year can attest to. His ability to get it going from three (41.5 percent average from distance in the playoffs) and his veteran presence (10 years in the NBA) give the Nuggets a much-needed boost as they deal with the major firepower out west when it comes to guard-play.

Rivers has a chip on his shoulder as he enters 2021 with motivation to prove he deserves a consistent place on NBA rosters moving forward. The journeyman seems to have found a place in Denver and has the opportunity this year to cement himself as someone the Denver Nuggets can count on at the guard position.

The Nuggets should be able to count on both Barton and Rivers for a combined 20 points a night in 2021 with the opportunity for both guys to go off on nights when the Nuggets are smooth-sailing. Things won’t be easy for Denver without the impressive abilities of Murray, but Barton and Rivers should be enough along with new addition Jeff Green and the returning JaMychal Green to buoy the Nuggets’ offense until Murray returns.