The Nuggets have experienced some highs and lows this season, but it does feel like they’ve turned a corner recently. They’ve been much more consistent and they’re getting solid contributions up and down the roster.
Some of this just pertains to health. They’ve rarely had all of their best players available for sustained stretches, but it feels like that is shifting. Jamal Murray has looked better than ever recently and seems to be getting right physically.
Aaron Gordon has also returned from a calf injury which has sidelined him for a total of 19 games this season. He’s working his way back into form and has been a positive contributor lately.
In a weird way, these absences have helped the team as there have been plenty of opportunities for guys further down the depth chart to make an impact. The young guys like Christian Braun, Peyton Watson, and Julian Strawther have all gotten comfortable and become reliable contributors for the team.
And of course, they have struck gold with the minimum free agent signing of Russell Westbrook. Russ has been a revelation in Denver, clearly one of the team’s best and most reliable players. He has been so good - especially playing alongside Jokic - that it has created a bit of a starting lineup controversy.
The team has objectively performed better with Russ in the starting lineup, but now that everyone is healthy, what does Michael Malone do? If he benches Russ and things start to go south, that could take an ugly turn. But if he relegates Braun back to a bench role after anointing him this offseason, he could cause some strife with the younger players.
There is no easy solution to what is a good problem to have, but due to a bit of luck, Malone and the staff may have found an unorthodox solution.
The Nuggets are thriving with Aaron Gordon coming off the bench
Since Gordon returned from injury he has been on a minutes restriction, so Malone has been bringing him off the bench. But this has actually created an interesting dynamic that is giving teams a lot of trouble.
The Nuggets are able to keep Westbrook AND Braun in the starting lineup - a unit that has been playing very well - and they still have a dynamic, difference-maker coming off the bench. Gordon has been bringing size, energy, and athleticism to a second unit that needed energy.
Staggering a few of the starters with Gordon has created almost two different starting groups to bludgeon teams with in different ways. Ultimately, this may come down to Aaron and how willing the is to sacrifice. But they call him “Mr. Nugget” for a reason and he just signed his extension, so he should be willing to do whatever it takes to help the team win.
Right now, that may be coming off the bench, and if he’s happy to keep doing it, that would be a boon for everyone involved. Malone gets to look like a genius, while they may solve their biggest issues just by employing this odd lineup tweak and having one of the best players on the team come off the bench.
Things could still get tricky once Gordon’s minutes restriction is lifted and the same issues will still exist when it’s time for Malone to decide on a crunch time lineup. But those are problems for another day. For now, this lineup seems to be working well and making everyone happy. The Nuggets should roll with it until they have a reason not to.