You could call the 2021-22 season either a success or failure for the Denver Nuggets. For some, they defied the odds and made the playoffs thanks to the on-court excellence of their two-time MVP Nikola Jokic.
For others, it’s a failure due to their quick first-round exit against the Golden State Warriors.
Regardless of how people feel about how the season went, the team will come back healthier next season with Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. returning from their respective injuries.
While it is clear that Murray will return to the backcourt in a starting role, the person that will be starting alongside him is not. There are multiple players that are currently on the team that have a valid argument for why they should start alongside him.
Each player brings something different to the table, and it is a decision that Michael Malone the Nuggets will have to think about during the offseason and during training camp.
Here are the best options that the Nuggets have to start in the backcourt alongside their returning star guard.
Should the Denver Nuggets start Will Barton next to Jamal Murray?
Will Barton has been a member of the Denver Nuggets since the 2014-15 season and is one of the most experienced players currently on the Nuggets roster.
Barton has been in many roles for the team over the years. He has played in the backcourt alongside Jamal Murray, he has slid up a position to the wing, and he has come off the bench in a sixth man role.
Will the Thrill has been one of the best scorers the team has for a long time and adding his scoring to a starting lineup that includes the reigning MVP Jokic, MPJ, and Murray might make the Nuggets one of the best offenses in the association. Thrill continued to show that he can score the ball well by averaging 14.7 points per game this past season, third on this team.
It could be argued that Barton may be a better fit for the bench where he can bring his playmaking and scoring abilities to the second unit, but if Bones Hyland continues to play well like he did last season then Barton could stay in the starting unit and bring his veteran leadership and his solid scoring to an offense that could be one of the toughest to guard next season.
Should the Denver Nuggets start Monte Morris next to Jamal Murray?
The Nuggets got a steal when they selected Monte Morris with the 51st pick in the 2017 Draft, and he has been nothing more than a great piece for the team and improving every season.
Morris had the chance to start for the Nuggets as the starting point guard for 74 games this season and continued to impress the team that gave him a chance a few years ago.
While Monte is better off as a point guard than a shooting guard, he could continue to play that role and have Murray transition to the two-guard spot where he might be more of a natural fit for the team. Morris averaged a career-high 4.4 assists per game this season while only having one turnover a night.
In an offense where he might have more options than the one he had this year, that number may continue to increase. He would also be a good catch-and-shoot option for the Joker and help open up the offense and help the unit reach their full potential as a team.
Morris has been showing that he is better than where he was selected, and him becoming a full-time starter might be the final step in his journey to becoming a complete NBA player.
Should the Denver Nuggets start Bryn Forbes next to Jamal Murray?
Bryn Forbes was a midseason acquisition for the Denver Nuggets, and he was a great pickup for a team that needed a knockdown shooter in their lineup.
Forbes is the only player on the roster with a championship under his belt after winning with the Milwaukee Bucks last season. While he did not play a lot, he did come in a hit big shots for the team that were important to them winning the championship.
A player that was groomed under legendary coach Gregg Popovich, he was one of the best 3-point shooters for the Nuggets last season with a 41 percent from the perimeter last season.
He may not be the most ideal player for the starting lineup, but he could space the floor out and could be a key reason why the Nuggets would have one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the league next season.
The last time he got a full-time starting opportunity was the 2018-19 season, and he posted his career-high 11.8 points per game in a season. If he could get those same opportunities on this team, he could be an underrated reason why the team would make a deep playoff push next season.
Should the Denver Nuggets start Bones Hyland next to Jamal Murray?
Earlier we talked about how the Nuggets got a steal with Monte Morris, but Bones Hyland is a highway robbery. When the team selected Hyland with the 26th pick in last year’s draft not many knew what he could bring to the team so early in his career.
Well, he showed a lot of people that he shouldn’t have been selected so late in the first round and should have been a player that lottery teams should have tried to select. While he only averaged 10.1 points per game in his rookie season, he showcased potential that could make the team go from having a big three to having a big four.
In a lineup that would include Jokic, Murray, and Porter Jr., Bones could get a lot of opportunities due to the attention those guys draw and could erupt into a big-time scorer.
We have seen already how quickly guards that were selected late in the first round could turn into cornerstones for teams like Tyrese Maxey with the 76ers and Jordan Poole with the Warriors. Bones has the same potential to become a player on their level and would have great players around him as those guys do.
While he doesn’t have to immediately join the starting lineup, the talent that he possesses may force him into the starting lineup and give Denver one of the deadliest teams in the league and give the Nuggets their first NBA championship, something that is long overdue in the Mile High City.