Nuggets rout Lakers as Denver's bench unit comes into focus

Just two years ago, the Nuggets were among the worst three-point shooting teams in a league whose elite franchises were relying more and more on stretching the floor from deep and playing a pace-and-space style that Denver’s roster wasn’t suited for.

So the Nuggets’ front office went into that summer’s draft and selected three players; Jamal Murray Juancho Hernangomez and Malik Beasley in the first round, and since then acquired a starting power forward in Paul Millsap and a potential backup in Trey Lyles who are all threats from beyond the arc.

Fast forward two seasons and the Nuggets are now one of the league’s best three-point shooting teams. Up and down Denver’s roster from Jameer Nelson, to Gary Harris, who just shot a world-class 42 percent from deep last season, to Nikola Jokic and even Will Barton who’s re-made himself as a shooter since Denver acquired the guard from Portland during the 2014-15 season, you find threat after threat from three-point distance. In all likelihood, nine players out of the Nuggets’ ten-man rotation are plus-shooters from beyond the arc.

Denver’s three-point prowess was front and center Wednesday night in their 122-104 rout of the Lakers. The Nuggets shot 14-25 (56 percent) from three in the first half, piled on some more daggers in the second, and blew the doors off a team they’ve now played twice in three days.

Wednesday’s matchup, where both teams rested most of their starters, gave Nuggets’ coach Michael Malone a good look at what could potentially be his bench unit when Denver opens their regular season. The Nuggets started Murray, Barton, Hernangomez, Lyles, and Mason Plumlee and those five played well off each other in extended minutes.

Malone has preached “fit” all along at training camp and so far this preseason when asked about the two position battles on the Nuggets roster; point guard and power forward and that five-man group that started the game for Denver certainly meshed well Wednesday night.

Denver led 74-52 at the half and through the game’s opening two quarters, Murray finished with a +26 +/-, Barton a +17, Hernangomez at +24, Lyles at +22, and Plumlee at +20.

Lyles and Plumlee played well together with the former roaming the three-point arc where he was able to knock down a number of threes and the latter handing out a number of flashy assists. Murray knocked down five jumpers from beyond the arc and the point guard’s shot seems as confident as ever. The Kentucky product played his best preseason game tonight. Hernangomez spent the majority of the game spotting up from beyond the arc where he showed off his patented lighting-quick release.

“I just went in and played aggressive,” Murray said after the win. “Ball movement and just made sure everybody was eating right.”

In the Nuggets’ third preseason matchup Malone may have cemented his bench unit.

Coming into the preseason, the Denver wanted to lock in their regular season rotation prior to their fourth preseason game. That time has come as the Nuggets visit the Spurs on Sunday before wrapping up their preseason slate Tuesday when they host Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony, and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

While Kenneth Faried was solid over the past two preseason games, and Emmanuel Mudiay, who didn’t fair well against the Lakers, looked improved in Denver’s preseason opener versus the Warriors, both could be on the outside looking in of the Nuggets’ rotation with how well Denver’s starting group played tonight.

Returning to the lineup against the Lakers was veteran Jameer Nelson, who missed Denver’s first two preseason games with a sprained left toe. Nelson was sound in a reserve role but if tonight’s rotation was any indication of what the Nuggets’ plans are when the regular season tips off Oct. 18 in Utah against the Jazz, Nelson could find himself in Denver’s starting lineup.

(Final statistics were not available for tonight’s game)