How Zeke Nnaji could be the X-factor in the Nuggets' path to contention

Some of the concerns surrounding the Nuggets have started to dissipate after a four-game winning streak. The team is now 6-3 on the young season, tied for the fourth-best record in the Western Conference. As much as it has felt like the sky was falling at times, water has found its level and the Nuggets have righted the ship.

Nikola Jokic is playing at an MVP level - arguably better than he ever has before. Michael Porter Jr. has looked very good in the past few games and Jamal Murray had an exciting return to the lineup after his concussion, putting forth his best effort of the season. Christian Braun has already proven to be a great fit in the starting lineup as well.

The bench is still, by far, the biggest question mark on this team. It has played better in the past few games and it has been good to see Michael Malone get creative with lineup combinations to steal some minutes while his starters rest.

But the biggest issue remains the backup frontcourt, and especially, what the team will do when Joki goes to the bench. As great as the Joker has been, the Nuggets are putting a massive load upon his shoulders. His minutes and workload are simply not sustainable over the course of an entire season if they have any hopes of a long playoff run after.

They need to find a way to survive those minutes and to be able to get through the regular season without overworking their superstar and without bleeding points every time he sits. Dario Saric has wasted no time showing the team that he is unplayable and the same is true of DeAndre Jordan. 

Zeke Nnaji is the key to fixing the Nuggets' backup center situation

That leaves Zeke Nnaji as the last viable option to provide reliable backup center minutes. Nnaji had a strong enough start to his career that the team gave him a four-year extension last summer. But that contract looked disastrous after he fell out of Michael Malone’s rotation last season.

But Zeke had a solid offseason and looked good in preseason games, showing off a new and improved 3-point shot. There were hopes that Nnaji had improved enough to take another crack at a rotation spot. Thanks to injuries and poor play from vets, that opportunity has arisen almost immediately.

But Zeke hasn’t exactly grabbed the bull by the horns. He’s getting limited chances from Malone and has only been decent at best. He still has a long way to go to earn the coach’s trust and establish a steady role - even though the team so desperately needs it.

Unfortunately, Nnaji isn’t some veteran on a minimum contract, he’s the 5th highest-paid player on the team at just 23 years old. That money and roster spot absolutely cannot go to waste; the Nuggets need to turn Nnaji into a productive player one way or the other.

That means either committing the backup minutes to him and living through the growing pains, or using his contract to trade for a player who can help them now. His $8.9 million contract should be extremely tradeable this season if they can find a suitor who can send back a usable veteran - ideally a frontcourt player.

Any realistic trade possibility starts and ends with Nnaji’s contract as salary to send out. The Nuggets will have to convince a team that Nnaji could thrive in a bigger role, or sweeten the deal with draft capital or other young players.

That’s obviously not ideal, but the Nuggets may not have a choice. Grinding Jokic to dust, and playing him 40 minutes a night is not a tenable option. And relying on your forwards like MPJ and Peyton Watson as your only backup centers for long stretches isn’t going to cut it either.

Something needs to change, and that change is going to have to involve Nnaji one way or another. Hopefully, he can get on the floor, play well, and give the Nuggets multiple options. That would be the best-case scenario, but that appears to be a long way away from happening.