It's been a tumultuous start to the Denver Nuggets season. They've got a 1-2 record after three games. Their superstar, three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, has upset the fan base with his comments calling them "not real fans" after getting booed in the home opener. But at least DeMar DeRozan has been a bright spot off the bench with his scoring punch. And against the Golden State Warriors, he took a step to create more spacing and potentially fill some gaps from three-point range.
The 17-year veteran is off to a good start in his first foray off the bench since his rookie season, averaging 15.3 points in 26.7 minutes across the first three games, including a 21-point effort in the Nuggets' 134-114 loss to the Warriors.
But it was the 2-for-5 he shot from downtown that piqued my interest. DeRozan isn't a great three-point shooter, having only shot 32.4% over his previous two seasons with the Sacramento Kings. But if he's able to knock the three-ball down at a career-high clip of 35.2% or better, he'll go a long way toward being an even bigger plus addition to the Nuggets.
DeRozan creating more space opens up the offense
Everybody knows that DeRozan is a mid-range bucket getter. He's 53.8% from two to start the year, but one of the cries about DeRozan's game was that he was going to create a muddy mid-range for Nikola Jokic and allow defenders to sag off him to help double Jokic.
And while that may be partly true, you could see DeRozan actively making the effort against the Warriors to spend a little more time beyond the arc. That helps pull his defender out, and if he continues to hit 35% or higher, the Nuggets offense will be much better off over the long haul.
The Nuggets need all the three-point help they can get right now
With the Nuggets missing Cam Johnson, Julian Strawther, and Spencer Jones, they need as much help from beyond the arc as they can get. Jokic can't hit a three again, and Aaron Gordon has only hit 33.3% of his threes so far. Jamal Murray has been the bright spot from beyond the arc, connecting on 47.8%.
The Nuggets were the best team in the NBA last year, making 39.6% of their threes, but they've hit just 31.1% and sit in 23rd after three games. That's why it's so important for DeRozan to find the best three-point touch of his career. He'll certainly have some of the most open looks he's ever had playing alongside Jokic, and he needs to capitalize for the good of the offense.
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