There have been plenty of things that the Denver Nuggets need to fix at the start of the season. The defense was terrible for three quarters of the home opener against the New Orleans Pelicans, and it continued against the Golden State Warriors for four quarters. The effort has been bad, and it's led to Nuggets fans booing the home team and causing strife between the fans and their beloved Nikola Jokic. Well, you can add backup point guard to the list, too. Get Jamal Murray help by signing Kevin Porter Jr., like yesterday!
Tyus Jones has been bad to start the year. The Nuggets brought him back this summer as one of their answers for more ball control. But the problem is that's all he does. He doesn't play defense. His offense is bad, and across 9.3 minutes in three games, he's scoring just 1.3 points to go with 0.7 assists.
Jones now has a plus/minus of -21 off the bench over three games, and the Nuggets either need to put DeMar DeRozan into the backup point guard spot or fill the 15th roster spot with Porter.
Murray's already averaging 38.7 minutes per game, leading the league through three games. With his injury history, that just seems unsustainable. The Nuggets look bad enough as it is right now. Imagine how bad it could look with Jones in the starting lineup for an injured Murray. Yikes!
The Nuggets have an interest in Porter
Porter was waived by the Milwaukee Bucks and cleared waivers, but before he was traded, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (subscription required) reported that the Nuggets inquired about trading Zeke Nnaji, two future second-round picks, and a second-round pick swap for Porter. They were rebuffed because Nnaji's got a toxic $7.5 million owed to him next season on a player option.
Well, now Marc Stein and Fischer report that the Nuggets still potentially have an interest in Porter, "depending on how things unfold." Things are unfolding like a broken lawn chair for the Nuggets right now!
Jones has been getting in some great cardio, but nothing else, and the Nuggets need to seriously consider Porter. Porter averaged 17.4 points, 7.4 assists, and 5.2 rebounds in 38 games for the Bucks last year, 36 of them starts. He'd be an instant boost to the second unit, and he'd be able to take on more minutes to allow Murray to get a little more rest.
The second apron problem is preventing it from being easy to sign Porter
The one thing keeping Porter from being a no-brainer move for the Nuggets is the fact that they are still over the second-apron luxury tax penalty threshold. But what do a few extra million in penalties matter if you let the team continue to suffer through the non-Murray minutes?
The Nuggets have to make some sort of move, or Murray will be run into the ground by Thanksgiving at this rate.
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