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Harrison Wind: Torrey Craig

Last season Torrey Craig averaged 20 minutes per game in the regular season but was bumped up to 23.6 per contest in the playoffs and ended up starting 11 of Denver’s 14 postseason matchups. He entered the starting lineup for Game 4 of the Nuggets’ first round series against the Spurs in place of Will Barton and never left Denver’s first five throughout the remainder of the postseason. Barton’s strong regular season combined with Gary Harris’ All-NBA worthy defense this year gives Craig more roadblocks towards entering the starting five during the playoffs if they do get played this season — although I still wouldn’t rule it out especially if Denver finds itself in dire circumstances — but he could still play a big role in the postseason.

Craig is averaging only 17.4 minutes per game this season, which a slight reduction from last year’s average and makes sense considering Michael Porter Jr.’s presence in the rotation who Craig ceded minutes too. But check out how Craig played against the Rockets, Denver’s presumptive first-round opponent if the postseason begins with the current playoff seeding in place.

Nov. 20 vs. Houston: 19 minutes (came off the bench)

Dec. 31 at Houston: 21 minutes (started for an injured Gary Harris)

Jan. 22 at Houston: 27 minutes (started for an injured Gary Harris)

Jan. 26 vs. Houston: 31 minutes (started for an injured Jamal Murray)

Even at full health, the Nuggets will need strong defenders if Denver draws a matchup against Houston (Russell Westbrook, James Harden), Dallas (Luka Doncic), Utah (Donovan Mitchell, Bojan Bogdanovic), Oklahoma City (Chris Paul) and the Clippers (Kawhi Leonard, Paul George) and Lakers (LeBron James). I think Michael Malone calls Craig’s number often.

Adam Mares: Paul Millsap

In some ways, having four months off before heading into a playoff run is almost an ideal outcome for a veteran player with a lot of mileage and some recent injury concerns. This hiatus should provide the 35-year-old Millsap with the best shot at returning fully rested, healed of every nagging injury, and ready for a two month sprint toward a championship.

It might even be a bit of a preview for how Millsap can hang around the league a few extra years, a la Andre Iguodala, Golden State’s defensive specialist who took full advantage of load management and low minute totals during the regular season before becoming one of the team’s most important rotation pieces in the playoffs. Millsap’s minutes have decreased in each of his three seasons in Denver and his total games played tally has seen a similar decrease relative to what was previously a very healthy 14-year career. Nonetheless, Denver’s defensive anchor still posted over 33 minutes per game last season, up from just 27 minutes per game in the regular season.

Like Iguodala, the numbers are clear about Millsap’s impact on Denver’s starting lineup. With Millsap, Denver’s starting unit of Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Will Barton, and Nikola Jokic posted a +7.2 Net Rating and a 107.3 Defensive Rating. With Jerami Grant, those numbers dipped to -3.1 Net and 113.5 Defensive.

Brendan Vogt: Michael Porter Jr.

Our colleague Matt Moore dared to ask Michael Malone if MPJ would be a part of the playoff rotation in the first media availability post-All-Star break. To my surprise, Malone answered almost immediately and unequivocally: Porter Jr. is going to play. 

Now, I know what happened next, and I know what you might be thinking —— why did Malone decrease his minutes in the subsequent games? I don’t know. But unless Malone is lying, then it’s safe to assume he’ll use the ace he’s been hiding up his sleeve. 

Do I believe Malone would lie to us? I know he would. He’s lied to my face many times, and I don’t even blame him for it. But Porter Jr. is undeniable, both in his talent and potential to fill multiple needs on an already talented roster. 

Wind is probably right in choosing Craig, who would, of course, eat into MPJ’s minutes should Malone opt for the former’s defensive prowess. But with multiple proposals floating around for a potential restart to the season—proposals that include alternative playoff formats—there’s a chance the Nuggets avoid that Houston matchup altogether. There must be some matchups in which Malone views MPJ as a potential mismatch nightmare for his equal on the opposing bench (Did someone say, Indiana?).