The Denver Nuggets don't have much depth behind Jamal Murray. The only point guard on the standard roster is Tyus Jones, and behind him is KJ Simpson, who's just a depth piece on a two-way contract. But what if the Nuggets use the newly acquired DeMar DeRozan as the backup point guard when Murray comes off the court for rest? Yes, it sounds abstract, but to many people's surprise, DeRozan has run the point guard position before. And done quite well, in fact.
And it wasn't just any coach that got DeRozan to accept and flourish in the role. It was Gregg Popovich, the winningest head coach in NBA history. So yes, there are legs to this idea. And the Nuggets have to explore this option for the good of the rotation.
DeRozan should be given a chance to reprise his "point-forward" role
Under Popovich, DeRozan had the three best seasons of his career, assist-wise. He averaged 6.2, 5.9, and 6.9 assists in his three seasons with the Spurs. And his turnover rate stayed roughly the same. It was a rousing success by Popovich, and one that DeRozan noted helped him to become a better, more well-rounded basketball player.
"You can't just dribble, dribble, dribble, you've got to be efficient with everything you do. ... Slowly but surely, it made me a better basketball player, understanding stuff on the court instead of just scoring. ... To combine those two things and the knowledge that came with it, I think put me in a place to where I'm at now," Derozan said in a 2022 ESPN column by Jamal Collier.
DeRozan literally gained more basketball IQ because Popovich forced him out of his comfort zone and into a role he didn't even know he could perform. But DeRozan has always been a good passer. He was just a scorer first. Popovich wasn't afraid to experiment with the role change, and neither should the Nuggets.
DeRozan is made for the point-forward with the Nuggets
DeMar DeRozan has played starter minutes his entire career, and he's one of the more durable and available players in the NBA. And he's a pick-and-roll master. He could seamlessly swap in when Murray hits the bench and go to work with Nikola Jokic. The only drawback for DeRozan is that he can't pop out for the three-point shot like Murray, as he's only a career 30.2% from beyond the arc.
But that doesn't mean DeRozan can't find the open three-point shooter off the pick, like he did for the Spurs in his point-forward days. He was described as a "floor general" and a distributor by Air Alamo. Air Alamo even described DeRozan as the primary ball handler, who played in an offense "with secondary playmakers and shooters in a drive-and-kick offense."
Clearly, there is a solution to the depth behind Murray. Nuggets head coach David Adelman just needs to channel some creativity and gumption to put DeRozan back into the point-forward role that he's run well in the past.
Add us as a preferred source on Google