It’s been smooth sailing for the Nuggets lately and a lot of it has coincided with Aaron Gordon’s return from injury. They finally have their full rotation intact as the top eight players have been playing and playing well.
Everything has fallen into place and the team has been rattling off wins, but we may be on the brink of a major change. Since returning from injury, Gordon has been coming off the bench as he works through a minutes restriction.
He has been an incredible 6th man and allowed different lineup combinations to flourish. It has been beautiful to watch, but something has got to give soon. Gordon recently told Bennett Durando of the Denver Post that he is fully ready, so it’s now just up to the coaches and training staff.
Aaron Gordon on his ramp-up process off the bench:
— Bennett Durando (@BennettDurando) January 26, 2025
“I’m ready. I don’t feel my calf anymore. Yeah. I’m ready. So it’s on the training staff and the coaching staff now.”https://t.co/LHxXy1c0yY
That means a decision is coming about the starting lineup. Christian Braun has been great as a starter all year. Russell Westbrook has been incredible since being inserted into the starting lineup. Aaron Gordon may be the second-best player on the team and has been a fixture in the starting lineup since joining the team via trade several years ago.
Now, one of those three is going to have to come off the bench going forward. There are pros and cons for each option, but whatever choice Malone makes could have a massive trickle-down effect throughout the entire team. He needs to make this important choice very wisely.
Option #1: Keep Aaron Gordon on the bench
This has been working lately, but is it really sustainable to have such a key player coming off the bench? Gordon has told Malone he is willing to make the sacrifice, but it’s one thing to say it, and another to do it.
Now that he’s ready for his full workload, it seems most likely he gets his starting job back. Plus, the lack of size in the starting lineup is evident without Gordon in there. The team got bullied by the T-Wolves on Saturday, partly because Michael Porter Jr. is not truly equipped to play power forward with three small guards around him.
Option #2: Send Russell Westbrook back to the bench
It’s a credit to Russ that this is even a debate, but he has been amazing as a starter for the Nuggets, and his chemistry with Jokic is undeniable. He was brought in to be a 6th man, and he has played the role plenty but has struggled while not sharing the floor with the Joker.
It makes some sense to tie his minutes to Nikola as much as possible to maximize Westbrook, but it also seems crazy to relegate Braun or Gordon because your 36-year-old minimum signing is on a heater. Russ has earned a major role, but keeping him in the starting lineup now that everyone is healthy would be a bold move.
Option #3: Give Christian Braun his 6th man role from past seasons
Braun was a rock solid 6th man for the Nuggets in his first two seasons in the league, but they made a big deal about promoting him to the starting lineup this season in the wake of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s departure. Braun has stepped into the role masterfully and done more than the team could have hoped for.
What he brings to the team isn’t nearly as sexy as the impact from Gordon or Russ, but it’s rock solid and he does a lot of the little things that keep the engine running. Braun has done nothing to warrant losing his spot in the starting lineup. Relegating him now after building him up all offseason would be a pretty wild decision.
The verdict: What should Malone do?
It’s a difficult decision because all three players have excelled, but ultimately Malone should likely send the veteran Westbrook back to the bench. Keeping the starting lineup together makes the most sense and allows that unit to keep building chemistry.
Westbrook can still be an early substitution, to match as many of his minutes as possible. And Westbrook can still be in the closing lineup late in close games. But there is no reason to demote Braun given how well he has played this season.
If Gordon is truly committed to a 6th man role and the whole team is behind the move, I’m open to rolling with this and just increasing Gordon’s minutes. You don’t see this kind of move employed by teams often, but it has been working and Gordon is the kind of unselfish player who could own this role.
Overall, this is a great problem for the Nuggets to have, but one that could become a real problem if handled incorrectly. Malone needs to act with conviction; he knows his team and his locker room better than anyone.