NBA insider points out Nuggets' biggest concern that nobody is talking about

For a team that’s just 15 months removed from winning an NBA title, the Nuggets have had a lot of issues pop up this offseason and most of them have been beaten to the ground ad nauseam by the media. 

There has been plenty of talk about the Nuggets' lack of veterans, their possibly cheap owners, the looming second apron, the lack of shooting on the roster, and the Jamal Murray contract situation. Many have pointed out the lack of future draft picks and impending contract extensions for Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr., and others.

Nuggets' lack of size becoming an issue

But Bobby Marks of ESPN brought up another concern for the Nuggets that has gotten far less attention and that’s their lack of frontcourt size and depth. The team invested heavily in DaRon Holmes and he’s now out for the season with a torn achilles.

Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon are mainstays, but both have played a lot of minutes and appeared to wear down in the playoffs. The team signed Dario Saric, but he’s aging and still recovering from an injury - it’s unclear how much he can help.

The only other big men on the roster are Zeke Nnaji and DeAndre Jordan and I’m not sure either one is a playable NBA rotation player at this point in their respective careers. The Nuggets are going to need somebody to step up and right now it’s unclear if that somebody is on the roster.

The Nuggets’ roster is top-heavy and it’s also perimeter-heavy. The lack of size combined with the lack of shooting are major red flags. The team’s starting frontcourt is obviously elite, but when either of Jokic or Gordon sits, there could be some issues.

Can Michael Porter Jr. play the 4?

One possible solution that was mentioned by Zach Lowe of ESPN is playing MPJ at power forward. That would create very good spacing on offense and allow the team to get an extra three-point shooter on the court that could really open things up on that end.

But the lack of size and defense on the other end could be an absolute killer. Porter Jr. would need to put on some muscle and really commit to working down low and on the glass. He certainly has the height to do it, but the strength is another issue.

Ultimately, that’s a move that Michael Malone and the Nuggets should (and may have no choice but to) experiment with in the regular season. Maybe they unlock something and the team finds a deadly new unit.

Even if it doesn’t work, it’s clear they are going to have to be creative and find ways to steal some minutes where the starters can rest. But if they can’t figure out the shooting or the size, they may be in big trouble this season.