The depth and bench for the Nuggets have been a problem for years now, and even when they won it all in 2023, it felt like they were overcoming that issue to an extent. In the offseason, it was clear that the new front office realized how big an issue it had become and made it a clear priority to bolster the rotation with proven, reliable veterans.
But nobody could have anticipated the number of injuries the team has dealt with, just how much they have had to rely on the depth pieces, and most importantly, how much the role players have stepped up to keep this team afloat despite all the absences.
Sunday night, we saw yet another example as Jamal Murray was ruled out with an illness ahead of the game. This came after Christian Braun was downgraded to out while managing his injury return, and of course, the Nuggets are still without Nikola Jokic, Cam Johnson, and Jonas Valanciunas.
And yet, the Nuggets came out and battled on defense, finding just enough scoring to pull out a hard-fought 108-104 home win over Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks.
Nuggets getting big contributions up and down the roster
Tim Hardaway Jr. has been one of the only consistent, reliable players on the team this season, and what a signing that has proven to be already. He led the way with 25 points on 8-12 shooting and hit 5-9 threes as he was a team-high +27 in 35 minutes.
If not THJ, you could make a strong case that Peyton Watson has been the most reliable player, but he has taken things up even another notch with Jokic out on the offensive end. He was great again on Sunday, putting up 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists as he ran the offense for much of the night.
Aaron Gordon continues to settle back into the lineup and looked as good as he has in Sunday’s win, playing point forward for much of the night, and ending up with 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists.
And let us not forget the deep cuts, as Zeke Nnaji put forth another brilliant game with 14 points and 10 rebounds off the bench, for his first double-double of the season. More importantly, and almost miraculously, Denver was +22 in Zeke’s 27 minutes.
Jalen Pickett also bounced back from a tough loss to Atlanta with 13, 8, and 4 on Sunday night. This was a total team effort by Denver, and it’s great to see everyone step up and fill their role. It was a stark contrast from the other side, where we saw the Milwaukee role players unable to lift Giannis.
The Greek Freak is experiencing some of what Jokic has felt for years as he puts up MVP-caliber numbers with little help from his supporting cast. That was the case on Sunday, and the Nuggets were able to capitalize on the opportunity and secure a big win.