The Denver Nuggets aren't exactly the most storied franchise in the NBA. They did finally win an NBA Championship in 2022-23. And Nikola Jokic brought the franchise its first MVP trophy in 2020-21. But they're still chasing one accolade that they've never won since the award's inception. The Sixth Man of the Year Award. But DeMar DeRozan could rewrite that part of Nuggets history this year.
Sure, it's going to be DeRozan's first year off the bench in his 17-year career. But that doesn't mean that the six-time All-Star isn't going to be up to the task. DeRozan has a high basketball IQ, and he'll quickly adapt to the style of play and spacing that he needs to find with the Nuggets' second unit.
And if the past two years are any indication, the foundations that Russell Westbrook and Tim Hardaway Jr. laid before him just could be the red carpet for DeRozan to bring home the 6MOY. Westbrook finished seventh, and Hardaway just missed the Nuggets' first 6MOY hardware, finishing third. The highest-finishing Nugget for the award was J. R. Smith, who finished second, all the way back in 2008-09.
DeRozan is in a favorable position to win the 6MOY
The odds are pretty good for DeRozan at the moment. According to most sportsbooks, DeRozan is the 5th-highest-odds bet to win 6MOY, behind the Oklahoma City Thunder's Ajay Mitchell, the San Antonio Spurs' Dylan Harper, the Philadelphia 76ers' Anfernee Simons, and the Minnesota Timberwolves' Ayo Dosunmu.
DeRozan should be in line for heavy minutes for the Nuggets this coming season. Westbrook averaged 27.9 minutes, and Hardaway saw 26.6. DeRozan should at least match those numbers, and he will most likely exceed them if he plays more of a facilitator role as the backup point guard to Jamal Murray.
It will also be DeRozan's first time playing against a majority-second unit. He may be able to pick them apart better than most are anticipating. Plus, DeRozan is one of the most clutch players in the NBA, and the Nuggets could use him to close out games instead of Christian Braun at shooting guard, giving him an even better chance to bring the first 6MOY award home to Denver.
The stumbling block for DeRozan is going to be his poor defense and the lack of a reliable three-point shot to incorporate into the Nuggets' offense. But if DeRozan can improve his career 30.2% three-point shooting even a little bit, it will increase his chances of winning 6MOY and raise the Nuggets' ceiling greatly in the process.
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