Nuggets Film Room: An unexpected role player is picking up the slack in Gary Harris’ absence

The Denver Nuggets were trying to put the game away Friday in Washington. With 1:20 remaining, they clung to a five-point lead. Wizards sixth man Kelly Oubre Jr. tried to cut into the deficit by uncorking a three-pointer from the right corner, but Will Barton was able to get a piece of it.

Torrey Craig, who was under the basket blocking out 6-foot-11 Marcin Gortat, corralled the deflected basketball and fired it to teammate Wilson Chandler before falling out of bounds.

Craig’s contributions in the Nuggets’ 108-100 win over the Wizards weren’t flashy, but they helped Denver secure a much-needed road win. Craig came off the bench to score 11 points (4-5 FG) and grab five rebounds in 19 minutes of action.

“It felt real good,” Craig said on Altitude TV’s post-game broadcast. “The more you play, the more comfortable you get, the more you start to figure it out. It definitely felt comfortable out there today.”

Friday marked the fourth consecutive game Craig logged double-digit minutes. Denver needed someone to step up in Gary Harris’ absence. Craig has picked up some of the slack.

On the offensive end, Craig knows how to fit in. He’s a smart cutter, and he gets out and runs in transition. When he does shoot, it’s usually at the rim.

Four of Craig’s five field-goal attempts came inside Friday. He took only one three-pointer, which he knocked down.

The Nuggets don’t need Craig to do anything special on offense; their attack centered around Nikola Jokic works well. Craig seems to understand this. He adds value where he can by moving without the ball, outrunning the opposition on fast breaks and taking open threes.

The defensive end is where Denver needs Craig’s contributions the most. The Nuggets are ranked 24th in defensive efficiency. One reason for their struggles: Denver’s guards have a hard time containing dribble penetration. That’s one area of the game Craig excels in. He spent most of his minutes Friday matched up against Bradley Beal. Craig did a decent job making life tough on him.

“I was just trying to stay solid, make guys take tough shots,” Craig said. “I know that’s what coach takes pride in: defense. I just try to fill that void.”

Craig, a two-way player who hooped in Australia before the Nuggets noticed him, butted his way into Denver’s rotation in mid-December. Since then he’s received sporadic playing time as Denver tried to manage his 45 days of service time. Now that the G League season is over, there are no more restrictions to deal with. Nuggets coach Michael Malone can play Craig as much as he wants over these final nine games.

Harris isn’t due back until Denver faces Oklahoma City on Friday at the earliest. Even when he does return, it’s not hard to imagine Craig sticking in the rotation. Craig knows how to fill in the cracks, and he’s not afraid to do the dirty work.