BSN Debate: Who has impressed, who has underwhelmed for the Denver Nuggets?

The Nuggets Nuggets are now 4-4 on the season, 2-2 both on the road and at home. They pulled of a thrilling win last night against the Milwaukee Bucks and that got our staff thinking about how this team is coming together. Our writers: Kalen Deremo, Harrison Wind and I answer five questions that have been on our minds …

1.) How would you grade Michael Malone’s performance so far and what do you like and dislike about what he’s doing?

Kalen Deremo: It’s hard to say because it’s so early and we’ve seen such great fluctuations in the way the Nuggets have played. I’m really not sure who this team is yet and I’m not sure they know either. I like how, at times, the Nuggets play with tremendous energy and heart and I most definitely like the way Malone speaks about his players and goes the extra mile to mend interpersonal relationships with his guys. In today’s NBA coaches are as much psychiatrists as they are instructors, so this aspect of his early tenure is encouraging. On the other hand, I wish the Nuggets had more of an identity, played with more consistent effort on defense and had a better productivity balance between the starting lineup and the bench. I think a lot of these issues will be resolved as the season plays out, but as of now I’d have to give coach Malone a “C.” This is about where I expected the Nuggets to be to start the season.

Harrison Wind: I would give Michael Malone an B+ through eight games as Nuggets head coach. The team’s performance has been up and down, like teams with young inexperienced talent and a bunch of players who haven’t spent a ton of minutes together usually are. He’s come through on his promise to place a premium on developing the young talent on the roster by trusting Emmanuel Mudiay in late game situations and playing Nikola Jokic somewhat consistent minutes. He’s dealt with countless injuries to Wilson Chandler (out for the season), Jusuf Nurkic, Jameer Nelson, Joffrey Lauvergne, Randy Foye and Jokic, that’s six rotation players. He’s done all of this and still has the Nuggets standing firm in the Western Conference at a 4-4 record. Granted, the Nuggets have lost some very winnable games at home against Minnesota and Utah, and the pace of this team right now isn’t where many expected it to be or where Malone wants it to be at season’s end. However, from talking to Malone, the knowledge he has for the game and this roster, and his vision for this season and seasons to come, I full trust him leading this team on the court.

Nate Timmons: I loved what Kalen said above about coaches being psychiatrists and Malone fits that bill. Brian Shaw‘s post game media scrums could have been sponsored by Denver’s Regional Transportation District (RTD) bus division because he often liked to toss his players under said bus. Malone has been teed up a few questions where he could, and maybe even should, put some heat on his players, but he refuses to do so on an individual basis. He understands that he’s the head of the team and acts accordingly. Malone is also very clear with his players and the media about what he wants. He likes to keep some things secret for strategy purposes, but the way he talks to his team and about his team, he’s clear in his desired goals. Malone also gets a little hot under the collar on the sidelines and it’s good to see some fire from Denver’s head coach.

As far as Malone’s Xs and Os, he’s been implementing a nice system on defense that will look better once Nurkic is back protecting the paint instead of undersized forwards Faried and J.J. Hickson. As Harrison pointed out, Malone does want to push the ball and has barked to the media about his team as a whole (not individuals) needing to get into offensive sets quicker after opponents make a shot and to push the ball after missed shots more often. The Nuggets have also ran some beautiful set plays, that will continue to look better as the players continue to gel. We still need to see more from Malone, but thus far I’d give him an A-.

2.) Which Nuggets team will we see the rest of the season at home: the team that got routed by Utah and Minnesota or the team that pulled out a hard-fought victories against the Blazers and Bucks?

Deremo: Again, this is tough to say. Though Minnesota has surprised most analysts out of the gate and though Utah is a very disciplined basketball team, especially on defense, I was still pretty caught off guard with how poorly the Nuggets played in both those games. They had low enthusiasm and couldn’t get anything going on the offensive end — two attributes you don’t expect to be exhibited at home. But judging by everything Malone has preached, I find it difficult to believe this is the same team we’re gonna see the rest of the year, especially at home. I have faith the Nuggets will start playing with better energy and cohesion as health improves and as players grow more comfortable with their new coach and system, so I’ll say Utah and Minnesota were both an aberration.

Wind: At 4-4 the Nuggets record looks pretty much where I thought they would and it’s a nice spot to be at before a brutal stretch against top Western Conference powers ascends on this young team. Some nights we’re going to see the potential of where this team could eventually go and other nights we’re going to wonder if Malone and his roster are on the same page. It’s going to be a process that’s going to include peaks and valleys, hard fought wins and yes a few blowouts along the way. Specifically, I think we’re going to see the development of the Mudiay, Gary Harris backcourt, the integration of Kostas Papanikolaou into the rotation and more and more Nikola Jokic as the season goes on.  Chemistry is always a fluid situation with a young team that hasn’t spent too much time playing with one another and right now it doesn’t appear that Mudiay is on the same page with Kenneth Faried and Danilo Gallinari. That understanding and cohesiveness will come with time and the Nuggets will have the look of a more connected unit as the season goes on. Will that translate into wins in the West? Maybe not, but it will mean a brighter future ahead.

Timmons: That Bucks win was almost a classic Nuggets home game. Visiting team comes out firing in the first half, keeps things close heading into the locker room, the Nuggets come out and put the clamps down in the third quarter and build a lead, and then Denver puts the game out of reach in the fourth quarter. All of the above happened except for Denver closing out the game with ease. The Nuggets coughed up a 13 point lead in the games final seven minutes, but fought to retake the lead and win the game. George Karl always used to talk about mental toughness of his teams, that’s what these Nuggets have to develop. Malone has played Mudiay in key situations and has done the same with Harris in a few instances; this season is about development and it’ll be a rollercoaster the rest of the way, but that’s not a bad thing – so long as we see improvement along the way and I believe we already are.

3.) How concerned should the Nuggets organization be about their league-low attendance?

Deremo: If they’re concerned with turning a profit, which they obviously are, then they’re likely very troubled. The Nuggets aren’t just last in attendance right now, they’re last by a pretty wide margin. Though Denver sports fans are passionate, we have to remember that for the majority of the Nuggets’ history they haven’t been very good, so there’s just not the same number of fans as a franchise like the Denver Broncos, who’ve been around for decades and have won two titles. This, unfortunately, is going to be a trend the entire year. Even if the Nuggets hover around .500, which would be considered a great success, fans just aren’t gonna buy into a team they see as going nowhere. They need to see stars, wins, playoff appearances and consistency before they start doling out money to watch this team play. I wish it weren’t the case, and I wish there were more die-hard basketball fans in Denver, but this is just the nature of fandom: People need results before they feel comfortable buying in.

Wind: They should be and they are concerned, but it’s not like this wasn’t expected. Last year, the Nuggets were 27th in attendance ahead of teams like Philadelphia and Minnesota and this year they are already last in the league by a wide margin. The atmosphere at home games has been absolutely dead so far and Malone and the players have already made comments about how there doesn’t seem to be much of an advantage to playing in front of their home crowd. The organization is concerned and after talking with people close to the situation, there has been a ton of turnover and change in the ticketing department as the Nuggets try and change the culture and how they conduct business. It’s at least a positive sign that they recognize there’s a huge problem at hand and they are taking steps to improve their numbers. Will the attendance pick up once Broncos season is over and Denver shifts it’s attention for a few months to basketball? Possibly, but especially if Denver decides to part ways with one of the more popular players on this roster, it’s going to be hard to get the casual fan out to watch a less attractive produce.

Timmons: Cheesy line, but an appropriate one here: If you build it, he will come – Field of Dreams, 1989. When asked, Malone has said he understands that it’s on the team to provide the fans with a team worth watching. I definitely understand that the Nuggets have to play much better in order to draw in the ticket buying customer, but it’s a shame that more people are not at the Pepsi Center to support a Rookie of the Year candidate in Mudiay, the freshly re-signed Gallo, the promising rookie Jokic and the rest of the players. But the Nuggets organization needs to meet fans halfway by providing people with affordable live viewing options aka lower the ticket prices. This team isn’t a complete product yet and fans shouldn’t have to pay a premium price to see a team that is developing. If the Nuggets truly want butts in the seats, they’ll get creative with how to attract fans.

4.) Which player has been most impressive to start the season and which player has underwhelmed?

Deremo: What’s so encouraging about the Nuggets’ future is how many answers there are to the first part of this question. There are legitimately five or more guys deserving of being named the most impressive player to start the season. But to me, No. 1 has to be Jokic. He hasn’t played more than 25 minutes in a single game this year, yet every time he touches the floor he seems to do something beyond his years. Though he’s still a rookie and therefore makes his fair share of mistakes, it’s his intellect and maturity that’s really impressed me thus far. Of course, Mudiay (a legit Rookie of the Year candidate), Lauvergne (leading the team in PER) and Barton (putting up the best numbers of his career) are all more than deserving of acknowledgment as well.

As for who’s disappointed, I’d have to point to Gallinari. Yes, he’s averaging a team-high 17.9 points per game, but he’s also logging 34 minutes per game and shooting an abysmal 40 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from downtown (going 4-8 from deep against the Bucks raised his 3-point percentage from 29 percent). Perhaps I’m a stickler for shooting percentages but I just think the Nuggets’ consensus best player (at least at this point) has to convert at a much more efficient rate.

Wind: Yes, Jokic has been impressive, but this is about what I expected from him after watching him in Summer League and hearing Malone and general manager Tim Connelly gush about him this summer. Lauvergne has been much better than advertised, but the lower back injury he’s been hampered with has put a damper on his output and Mudiay has been great and seems to have turned the corner after a hesitant and cautious start to the season. J.J. Hickson has, in my eyes, been the most impressive player who I had zero expectations for to start the season, especially with how he looked this preseason. Hickson got burned countless times on defense last game against Milwaukee, but held his own and kept the Nuggets heads above water against Portland. He’s not a good defensive player by any stretch, but aside from the Milwaukee game he’s generally played great on that end of the floor for his standards. On offense, he’s also rolling to the rim consistently, something he’s struggled with throughout his time in Denver and he’s “been the loudest guy on defense,” according to Malone and that’s something this young and inexperienced Nuggets team needs.

In my mind, no one on this Nuggets team has been disappointing, but if I had to chose one it would be Gallinari. He’s currently shooting 40 percent from the field, the lowest percentage of his career, he’s shooting his lowest percentage from 3-point range since 2012 and has been passive and disinterested on defense at times. That being said, he’s still pouring in the points, averaging a career high 17.9 points per game and has become a presence on the glass (5.1 rebounds per game) and is getting to the line a career high 6.6 times per game. Gallinari’s probably on track to have the best year of his career from a statistical standpoint, but he could still take on a leadership role with this team and consistently stay engaged on the defensive end.

Timmons: I was very curious to see how the Nuggets would translate from Summer League to preseason and from the preseason to the regular season – especially the young guys. Mudiay’s 13.1 points, 6.3 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals have been stellar. His outside shooting started out better than advertised, but has fallen off over the last few games (3-16 in his last four games). Shooting percentages will fluctuate, but Mudiay has shown he wants the ball in his hands late in games and has been clutch in big moments. I picked D’Angelo Russell for Rookie of the Year and am already regretted not betting on the hometown kid.

I’ve loved what I’ve seen from Harris, too. He has been an absolute pest on defense, averaging 1.1 steals per game, and his offense has been developing too. He’s shooting 47 percent from both the field and 3-point line and has rewarded coach Malone with trusting him. Heck, I’d like to see Harris get even more minutes than the 25.8 he’s currently averaging.

The bench duo of Barton and Jokic has been nice, too. Barton is an instant pace-changer when he enters the game and he has looked like a solid role player for Denver in his 24.4 minutes per game. Malone has given Jokic a clear role as a rookie off the bench. Throughout the preseason Malone discussed needing to give guys clear roles so that they know what to expect game-to-game and Jokic has looked well ahead of the curve for a big man on the offensive end. We haven’t even gotten to see a lot of his passing ability yet or his shooting from outside the paint. Both guys have been sparks for this team and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the spark that Hickson has provided. Hickson looked destined to ride the pine, but has filled in admirably for Lauvergne and is playing the best ball of his career on both ends of the floor. Is this J.J. fighting for his NBA life? Maybe, and it’s nice to see.

I’m not sure I have an underwhelming player this early into the season. I was hard on Randy Foye and Darrell Arthur after the first few games, but both have started to play better. As my colleagues point to Gallo, I also would like to see the Italian improve in two areas: shot selection and team defense. Gallinari has taken some difficult shots when they were not necessary and gone to isolation ball a little too much. He is leading the team in scoring, but needs to play just a bit more within Malone’s offense and that may come as he develops chemistry with Mudiay. Defensively, Gallo has been late to rotate or failed to rotate and that can kill your defense. Gallo has been a good one-on-one defender, so it’s a small bone to pick, but one to pay attention to. When Malone talks about leaders on the team, he doesn’t often mention Gallo and that is a bit odd to me as he should be front and center as the team’s best player.

5.) What’s one trade you would make as GM or would you stand pat with the current roster?

Deremo: I truly believe outside shooting and inside paint protection are the two most valuable and emphasized characteristics of the contemporary NBA. Unfortunately the Nuggets fall relatively short in each of these categories, but especially in paint protection. As I’ve said numerous times here at BSNDenver.com, the Nuggets should have signed a backup center in the offseason. Though Jokic and Lauvergne are sizeable guys, neither specializes in blocking shots, leaving Malone to rely on Hickson, Arthur and Faried to defend the interior with predictably disastrous results. I’d love to see the Nuggets ship J.J. Hickson and perhaps a future second-rounder to Orlando for Jason Smith or Dewayne Dedmon (both top 20 in blocks per 48 minutes), or instead combine other players and additional draft picks into the deal to target an even better 3-point specialist like Ryan Anderson or Eric Gordon from New Orleans. That said, I think the Nuggets are committed to the youth of their roster and the guys who’ve re-signed to be in Denver longterm, so I think a deal is unlikely and justifiably so. Before making any trades the Nuggets need to see what they have as a collective unit. In hindsight and, more than anything, the Nuggets might think twice next time before letting go of blossoming centers and outside shooters like Timofey Mozgov and Evan Fournier.

Wind: Having another shooter out on the floor, specifically at the wing or playmaking four position would space the court and counteract Faried and Denver’s other spatial issues. Some gettable floor spacers with potential include Ryan Anderson, Ben McLemore, Allen Crabbe or Rodney Hood. Guys like Faried, Hickson (who’s bump in minutes has boosted his trade value) Foye, or Jameer Nelson could be had for the right price and the Nuggets also have a bevy of draft picks at their disposal. Expect nothing to be off the table come the trade deadline.

Timmons: I don’t want to see a trade made that limits the minutes of Harris, Lauvergne, or Jokic. I think the Nuggets should be patient this season, but if there’s one move that could be made for a top flight shooting guard or reliable backup rim protector then Denver should go for it. It’s difficult to envision a place on the roster for Foye, Miller, and Hickson after the season, so the Nuggets have some roster wiggle room there. I’m also curious how Papanikolaou fits into the picture as he’s played well in limited action since re-signing with the team. His 2-3 shooting from the outside is encouraging, but that may also just be one writer’s desire for long range accuracy from this team.