Entering the season, the Denver Nuggets bench had more questions than answers about who was going to step up and play well off the bench for them. After a hot summer league and preseason, there was hope that Julian Strawther could be the key ingredient to a successful Nuggets bench unit.
Strawther’s best NBA trait has always been his ability to knock down shots from beyond the arc and he has lived up to that this season so far, shooting 39.5%. With that being said, The 6’6” SG has not excelled in any other aspect of the game to date. His defense especially has been a major issue for the Nuggets and the bench’s ability to get stops.
Sadly, Strawther has not been the only defensive liability as the Nuggets have held just one opponent under 100 points this entire season. Unfortunately for him, he has been the most glaring eyesore on the defensive end from a perimeter defense aspect. The former Zag also hasn’t been able to provide the scoring punch off the bench at a mere 9.2 PPG.
According to Mile High Sports’ Ryan Blackburn and Cleaning the Glass’ lineup data, Strawther has a negative net rating with every Nugget other than Nikola Jokic. Not only that, but he has the third worst team net rating at -13.2, ahead of only Dario Saric (-15.2) and Zeke Nnaji (-50.2), both of which have fallen completely out of the Nuggets rotation.
What should the Nuggets do with their former 1st round draft pick?
It is very clear that Strawther is not playing well. It is also becoming clearer that he may not be playable come playoff time for Denver, assuming we do not see a major bounce back in the coming weeks/months. In a playoff series, his inexperience and defensive ineffectiveness are a tough sell for a team with title hopes.
One option would be to have him continue to get regular season reps and play him very limited minutes and occasionally not at all in the playoffs, similar to Peyton Watson last season who averaged just 6.0 minutes per game in the 2nd round series against the Timberwolves. This would allow Denver to continue to develop him for future seasons.
The downside of this is that the Nuggets bench unit is already so thin with unproven players and there is not even a clear veteran that could be a plug-and-play guy like Justin Holiday last year. If Strawther is on the roster, he likely has to be thrusted into action in the playoffs.
The other option would be to deal Strawther before the trade deadline. He has some flashes and potential to be a good NBA player in the near future, but that may not come to fruition for another year or two. Another team may have the patience and minutes for him to develop quicker and be a better fit for their timeline.
Rumors are already swirling around the Nuggets looking at potential trades, most likely moving Michael Porter Jr. in the process. There is a chance that Strawther finds himself as an add-in or sweetener in a potential deal later this season.