The Denver Nuggets cruised into the All-Star break on a league-leading eight-game winning streak, playing arguably their best basketball of the season. They’re up to 36-19 on the season and suddenly they are within a half-game of tying the Grizzlies for the number two seed in the Western Conference.
Nikola Jokic is in the midst of another battle for the MVP award, Michael Porter Jr. is taking a leap and has scored 30+ points in three straight games, and Jamal Murray is looking as good as he has in years including a career-high 55-point game last week.
On top of the stars, the Nuggets are getting a breakthrough season from new starter Christian Braun. Julian Strawther played his way into a spot in the NBA Rising Stars, and Russell Westbrook has been arguably the most impactful signing of the entire offseason by any team.
Now, it’s time for the stretch run. They have 27 games left in the regular season to get fully healthy, round into form, and establish playoff seeding. They’ve been dealing with injuries and patching together lineups. But they’ve gotten surprisingly strong play from guys up and down the roster.
Once we reach the playoffs, the minutes are going to be extended and the rotations are going to be thinned. Suddenly there won’t be available minutes for all these guys and Michael Malone is going to have to decide who he actually trusts enough to be in the playoff rotation. Here are three players who will be playing to earn a spot in the lineup once the playoffs start.
1.) Can Zeke Nnaji gain a backup forward role?
Nnaji was completely out of the rotation for most of this season and appeared he may just be unplayable in the NBA. His four-year, $32 million contract has been an abject disaster, a huge stain on Calvin Booth’s record, and a major reason why the team was unable to make any trades before the deadline.
But thanks to injuries, Nnaji has been playing a lot lately and playing surprisingly well. He has played at least 20 minutes in six of the team’s last seven games, securing at least 5 rebounds in each, and providing legitimate rim protection with multiple games of at least 4 blocks and a ridiculous 7 stocks in his last game.
He’s been stretching the floor and hitting some threes on the offensive end too, scoring in double figures three times. This run may be a bit of a fluke, but it’s great to see Zeke giving the team competent NBA minutes. If he can keep this up down the stretch, he may become a button Malone may consider pressing at some point in the playoffs.
2.) Is Jalen Pickett the 3&D bench guard the team needs?
Pickett is another player who was thought to be unplayable but has been thrust into the lineup the last few weeks due to injuries. Like Nnaji, Pickett has run with the opportunity and looked as good as he ever has on an NBA court. He’s locking down on defense and keeping ballhandlers on the perimeter - something the team has needed badly.
He’s shooting with confidence and hitting threes while also distributing and making plays, even putting up 9 assists in a recent win. Pickett’s path to playing time when the team is fully healthy is crowded, but if he keeps this up, there could be spots where Malone values his defense and steadiness.
3.) Can Julian Strawther improve his defense enough to be the microwave bench scorer?
Out of the players on the bubble, Strawther has been the most consistent part of the regular season rotation. He has played in almost every game and has become a steady bench scorer and shooter, playing real minutes even when everyone has been healthy.
But when the rotations tighten up, Strawther will be right on the fringe. His offense has been good but not great and his defense has still been questionable at best. Malone and Booth have both made frank and public statements about Strawther possibly having a tough time in the playoffs due to defense.
At this point, he has probably played well enough to at least deserve a chance, but if his shot goes cold, he may be on a very short leash. Malone may opt for reliable defense and rely on his stars to figure things out on offense.