For much of the season, and especially lately, the Nuggets have been scrambling to fill the 48 minutes of game time with competitive lineups. The starting lineup has been good, but depth beyond that has been a major question mark and whenever even one rotation player sits out, the team finds themselves in trouble.
Injuries and rest have caused the team to get even more creative recently and we’ve seen Michael Malone cycle through all kinds of deep-bench players, trying to find a spark. They’ve had some decent successes in moments with the veteran DeAndre Jordan, and young players like Zeke Nnaji and Spencer Jones, but none of it has felt sustainable.
But in the past few games, it’s starting to feel like the team really stumbled into something meaningful with backup point guard Jalen Pickett. Pickett is in his third year since being drafted in the second round and has shown flashes here and there but hasn’t carved out a role in the rotation.
There were times when it felt like the team was closer to waiving Pickett than giving him meaningful minutes, but lately, he has had to play more, and he’s done very well. Perhaps, he has turned a corner and started to get more comfortable in his role, or just developing and honing his skills as an NBA player.
Pickett making a case for playoff minutes
On Wednesday night, Pickett made just the second start of his career as the entire starting lineup sat out the second night of a back-to-back. Pickett stepped up and had the game of his life, recording his first triple-double in the NBA with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.
That was an outlier performance, but even in games where he’s had a legitimate role, Pickett has looked like a rock-solid backup point guard. He’s reliable with the ball, plays solid, defense, can knock down open shots, and perhaps most importantly, he plays within himself.
That’s a stark contrast with the Nuggets’ other backup point guard, Russell Westbrook. Russ has had a great season, but he’s sporadic and unpredictable. We’ve seen things get worse as the season has gone on. Westbrook’s turnovers have picked up, teams have forced him to become a shooter, and he had an all-time disaster class in double overtime the other night against the Timberwolves.
The Russ experience has been volatile at best and has gotten worse over the years. His role has been a major fear all season and the fear is rising to a boiling point as the playoffs approach. But now, Pickett is offering an actual alternative. In the eight games that Pickett has played 20+ minutes, he’s averaging 8 points, 5.9 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.4 made 3s per game.
His steady reliable hand may be preferable come playoff time. The Nuggets don’t need an explosion off the bench, they need reliable consistency for a few minutes. Malone has never been one to go with youth over veterans, but this may be his toughest test. When the moment comes, will he have the nerve to go with Pickett over Westbrook?