The 2022 NBA Summer League is nearing its end and the Denver Nuggets have all but finalized their roster for next season. Outside of re-signing Vlatko Cancar and trading for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the team has also acquired the likes of Bruce Brown, DeAndre Jordan, Christian Braun, Peyton Watson and Collin Gillespie. Meaning that the Nuggets have officially filled up all 15 roster spots.
Now that we know who’s going to be on the roster next season, or at least who the key contributors will be, there’s been tons of speculation as to how far the Denver Nuggets can really go. Including what a possible “Death Lineup” could look like to push the team into contention.
The death lineup is the newest trend in the NBA that was made famous by the Golden State Warriors featuring Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Characterized by having an undersized frontcourt that’s versatile enough to create mismatches through elite shooting and playmaking as well as to allow for more defensive switchability.
Whether it be the original death lineup with Andre Iguodala and Harrison Barnes, the “Hamptons 5” with Kevin Durant or the most recent “Death Lineup 3.0” featuring Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins. This reinvented “small-ball” lineup (otherwise known as the death lineup) has led the Warriors to win four championships in the last eight years and become one of the greatest dynasties in sports.
Since its proven success, other teams are doing their best to imitate it by implementing modern position-less basketball into their lineups. So, with the Denver Nuggets adding some fresh faces to the roster, it’s time to look at what a death lineup could look like for the team as they chase their first-ever NBA championship.
Death Lineup #1 – Bones, Murray, MPJ, Gordon, Jokic
So, I know what you’re thinking, “How could Nikola Jokic be part of a ‘small-ball’ lineup?” Well, allow me to explain.
I should start by saying that even though a death lineup isn’t necessary the starting five or even the best five, it is the lineup that will be used in the clutch moments of the game. And I find it hard to imagine that Jokic won’t be utilized during the closing moments of any game. Plus, Jokic is a pretty versatile defender and has shown the ability to switch onto smaller wing players if need be.
Now, I’m not sure this lineup makes the most sense if your goal is to prevent the other team from scoring but if it’s to put up as many points in as little time as possible, then there’s no better alternative.
Bones Hyland and Jamal Murray are probably the team’s two best scoring threats in the backcourt and present similar offensive skill sets that would be a nightmare for teams to try and defend. As two players that can shoot the deep ball efficiently or take their defender one-on-one to the rack.
If all else fails, and either one of these two run cold, then you’ve still got Michael Porter Jr., who could slot in at the three to instantly form one of the deadliest wing trios in the NBA. With MPJ, Bones and Murray, teams can pick their poison but won’t be able to shut down all three, especially since they would still have to worry about Jokic.
Aaron Gordon would be your defensive anchor and Jokic would be your lead facilitator/rebounder. He would also help to draw attention off the other four as defenses would be forced to pay attention to him, after all, he’s still the reigning MVP of the league.
The one issue with this lineup is defense, as neither Bones or Murray are considered elite defenders by any stretch of the imagination. Nevertheless, if the team finds themselves behind late in the game and need to put up points in an instant, this could be the lineup they run with.
Death Lineup #2 – Murray, KCP, MPJ, Gordon, Jokic
Next we’ve got the most balanced solution which sees Kentavious Caldwell-Pope step in for Bones Hyland and Murray move up to take over at point guard. Past that, MPJ, Gordon and Jokic would stand pat, providing a nice blend of offense and defense.
Of all the possible rotations that Michael Malone has to work with, this one probably makes the most sense to close out a game. With Murray and KCP in the backcourt, Murray can take over as the lead ball-handler, while KCP plays off the ball and provides more assistance on defense.
Now, any Nuggets fans knows that this will probably be the team’s starting five next season, so, it would sort of go against the whole idea of not needing to play your five best players to form a death lineup. However, there’s a reason why these five are the most likely to start and finish a game.
Truthfully, I’ve never really viewed Jamal Murray as much of a point guard. Sure, he can run the offense and move the ball at a high rate but he’s not a natural facilitator, and has never averaged more than 4.8 assists a game in his NBA career. Thankfully, that’s why the team’s got Nikola Jokic.
Having Jokic as the one responsible for setting his teammates up with open looks means that both Murray and KCP can sit back and just focus on scoring. Which should be fun to watch since the last time we saw Murray he was shooting over 47 percent from the field and 41 percent from three. While KCP is a career 42 percent shooter from the field and 36 percent shooter from three.
Then there’s Michael Porter Jr., who’s hit over 50 percent of his shots from the field and 42 percent from long-range in his three-year NBA career. Not to mention Aaron Gordon, who’s high-flying scoring and ability to make quick cuts to the basket would complement the other three beautifully.
All of this is to say that Jokic should have a plethora of sound scoring options to dish the ball to, which should create more opportunities for himself and the rest of the team.
This rotation presents the most all-around value and is by far the most balanced that the Denver Nuggets could run with. However, if the opposing team puts out a smaller lineup, then Denver could look to our final potential death lineup as the solution.
Death Lineup #3 – Murray, KCP, Brown, MPJ, Gordon
Once again, it’s important to note that the best five players on the roster don’t necessarily need to be on the floor to form a death lineup. Even though I think Jokic is versatile enough to switch onto a guard or small forward, if he does begin to struggle then the Nuggets could look to switch things up a bit.
Every NBA fan knows that the success of any death lineup hinges on the versatility of their defense, just look at the Golden State Warriors when they had Kevin Durant. Obviously, the team had the ability to put up points in rapid succession, however, they were also one of the elite defensive teams as well.
The “Hamptons 5” death lineup featured two elite one-on-one defenders in Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, along with a reliable help-side defender in KD, and an above average perimeter defender in Iguodala, capped off by the greatest shooter of all time in Steph Curry.
So, for the Denver Nuggets to run a similar sort of lineup, they would need to use the five players mentioned above. With KCP and Gordon as your two elite on-ball defenders, Brown as the above average defender, MPJ as the help-side defender and Murray as the pure scorer.
Alternatively, they could also float Zeke Nnaji out there at the five and move Gordon up to the four, substituting out MPJ to provide a stronger interior presence.
When the Warriors had Durant or Green listed as their centers, both presented a severe athletic mismatch on the opposing big man. Durant could obviously take them off the dribble or shoot over top, while Green could knock down the long ball at a decent clip.
Similarly, if the Denver Nuggets were to run with MPJ and Gordon in their frontcourt, these two could wreak havoc on opposing bigs. Obviously, Gordon would need to utilize his hops and upper body strength to battle with the other team’s center, while Porter would probably need to get a little more physical in the post. However, the sheer mismatch on offense would be deadly.
With Murray, KCP, Brown, MPJ and Gordon all in one lineup, the Denver Nuggets would have an entire unit that could knock down shots efficiently from just about anywhere on the court. Which is the first step to building the ultimate death lineup in the modern NBA.