It hasn’t taken long at all for it to become crystal clear that Jonas Valanciunas is going to make all the difference in the world for the Nuggets this season. Even in the preseason, it’s jarring to see the team run a competent offense with Nikola Jokic on the bench, and the team’s newfound frontcourt versatility has been a breath of fresh air.
Part of this speaks to the Nuggets’ weaknesses in recent years as they’ve failed to put a competent NBA-level replacement behind Jokic. They’ve been historically brutal whenever Jokic sits, both costing the team games and overtaxing the best player at the same time.
The result was an exhausted Jokic who was asked to do way too much. It’s no coincidence that Denver petered out in round two of the playoffs in back-to-back years, looking worn down by the end of long, physical series’.
Valanciunas the best backup center of Jokic era
The Nuggets didn’t just upgrade the position; they went out and got a very good veteran big man with some similarities to the Joker. Don’t get me wrong, JV is not Jokic, but the offense can largely keep its flow when the backup comes in. Val can pass out of the high post, he can score around the rim, and he can eat up the boards.
That’s more than you can say about any backup big man the Nuggets have had in ages. He’s going to completely change the non-Jokic minutes and give Denver a chance to win every night without putting everything on Jokic’s shoulders.
On top of that, the Nuggets can confidently give Jokic a night off whenever they please. Big Val is more than capable of starting and playing heavy minutes a handful of times during the regular season, and Denver will still have a real chance to win those games.
Nuggets have ability to play double-big lineups
The other element of the Valanciunas acquisition, beyond ably backing up Jokic and keeping him fresh, is his ability to play alongside the Joker. In the preseason, David Adelman has already shown a willingness to play JV and Jokic together for stretches, letting the two European giants bully opponents inside and out.
There aren’t many teams that can match up with even one of Jokic and Val, let alone both at once. It’s going to create some ridiculous advantages and force teams to make major adjustments or get extremely uncomfortable.
The versatility plus size of the two big men give the Nuggets a completely new set of options. They can play a number of different styles and can bust out some unconventional lineups that will give opposing coaches nightmares. It’s an exciting time in Denver, and a lot of that is thanks to the acquisition of Jonas Valanciunas.