The perception for most of the offseason was that the Nuggets had no depth behind Jamal Murray. However, Murray wasn't available to start the Nuggets' first preseason game against the Utah Jazz, and it could have been for the better. We know what Murray can do, but we haven't seen what his backup, Tyus Jones, is really capable of. To be honest, he did pretty well starting in place of Murray in the 109-97 loss. And new two-way acquisition, Ryan Nembhard, looked alright, too.
Murray was in street clothes, but he was only sitting out due to personal reasons. But that may have been a blessing in disguise. The Nuggets were thought to have little depth, with only Jones as a natural point guard on the roster behind Murray before they signed Nembhard. But Jones, the ball-control specialist, performed very well as the starter despite having an uncharacteristic two turnovers.
Tyus Jones could fit the Nuggets' offense better than fans expect
Yes, I have been bagging on Jones all summer. But in fairness, we only saw glimpses of him last season, and when he got time in the playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves, it was too late for him to really make a difference. He had no chemistry with anyone, and he didn't look great. But head coach David Adelman must have loved what he saw, and the Nuggets signed Jones to a one-year veteran minimum contract at the start of free agency.
Jones spent all summer working out with the Nuggets, and clearly, it looks like it paid off. Jones was a floor general, and in just 18 minutes, he scored 8 points while going 2-for-3 from downtown. But more importantly, he had 6 assists and was routinely looking to hit the pass first and the open shot second. If he's able to continue to replicate the open shot, he could work out alright.
Jones has always been a consistent ball handler, as his career 5.47-to-1 ratio shows, and he's a career 37.2% three-point shooter. That's actually what the Nuggets offense needs. Someone who can find the open player or knock down the open three after everyone collapses on Nikola Jokic. Sure, it's only one game, but there's a lot more to like about what we saw from Jones than his minus-6 plus-minus would otherwise say. That's on the first unit as a whole.
Ryan Nembhard is a capable backup, too
Nembhard was moved up to the second unit with Murray out, and he saw almost 17 minutes of action and scored 5 points, including one from downtown. He also had 4 assists and only one turnover while speeding around the perimeter and surveying the floor. He looked good for having only been with the team for a few days.
All in all, the Nuggets' backup point guard spot looked better than expected despite the loss. It is the preseason, after all. Ironing out the wrinkles is part of the plan. So far, the Nuggets look to be ironing out a big wrinkle at backup point guard.
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