Roundtable: Should Michael Porter Jr. rejoin the starting lineup when he returns?

There’s significant news on the Michael Porter Jr. front. The forward, who has missed the last 12 games with a heel strain, got upgraded to doubtful Monday afternoon ahead of Tuesday’s matchup vs. the Memphis Grizzlies. He’s almost back. DNVR Nuggets discusses Porter’s impending return to the lineup, which role player could be primed for a breakout over the next week, if Denver’s defense took a step forward against Charlotte, and what would be a good record for the Nuggets over their next 10 games.

When Michael Porter Jr. returns to the lineup, should he return as a starter or come off the bench?

Adam Mares: Depends on how he’s feeling but if he is anywhere near 100%, I think he should start. Prior to the heel injury, he was playing several short stints. That rotation works well for staggering and helping the bench as well as making sure that Porter Jr. doesn’t put too much stress on the injury.

Harrison Wind: If he’s 100%, which he should be when he returns, put him in the starting lineup. That allows Bruce Brown, who’s undersized at the three, to return to his natural position off the bench. Porter gives the Nuggets’ startling lineup more length, more shooting, and just makes that unit more dangerous.

Brendan Vogt: Porter belongs in the starting lineup. I’ve seen enough to buy the utility in aggregate size, and the rotation featuring an MPJ – Bruce Brown stagger was probably the most encouraging one we’ve seen so far. That’s how you’d like to start games by the season’s end, so there’s little sense in waiting if Porter is good to go.

What does MPJ help the most?

Adam: He helps everywhere but I think his biggest impact will be felt with Bones Hyland. The bench lineups lack secondary scoring options and spacing. Porter Jr. provides both. The emergence of Christian Braun should add some defensive help and there’s always a chance that we’ll see Zeke Nnaji get a chance to add defense and spacing as well.

Harrison: The bench. Porter presents the last hope of getting the second unit playing at a level of respectability. If a Porter stagger alongside Bones Hyland, Christian Braun, Jeff Green, and whatever other player you want to slide into that lineup doesn’t work, then kiss any hope of a quality bench unit goodbye this season, unless a significant move is made at the trade deadline. Porter and Hyland are enough scoring for a second unit. Bruce Brown and Braun are good defenders. I think that unit can work — it flashed at times earlier this season — and I’m excited to see it again.

Brendan: I agree with Mares, but for the sake of variety, I’m going to wonder aloud if his return bolsters the defense. No, he’s not a better defender than Bruce Brown, but he’s considerably bigger, which might be more valuable at a forward position. His sheer size and rebounding ability could have a positive impact when swapped with someone of Brown’s stature.

Was the Nuggets’ defense against the Hornets a real, substantial step in the right direction?

Adam: Probably not. The Hornets aren’t a good defensive team and they were playing at altitude. Also, the starters played a lot of minutes and the starters have been decent defensively in spurts. I’m not buying that it was some great defensive performance from the Nuggets or a sign of things to come.

Harrison: I was encouraged that I saw the Nuggets lock in defensively for a stretch that wasn’t the fourth quarter of a close game. Denver’s 17-4 run late in the second quarter was reminiscent of some of the fourth-quarter clutch defensive performances the Nuggets have had on that end of the floor this year. Was it a step in the right direction? Yes. Is it a sure sign that Denver’s on the right track defensively? Hell no. This was against the Hornets and the worst offense in the NBA. Tonight vs. Memphis will reveal much more about where this team is actually at.

Brendan: It wasn’t even that encouraging. They played a bad team that took bad shots and let them hang around. If you show me any one stretch of good defense from Denver, I can convince myself it’s what they’re capable of. But they have much more to prove regarding what they’re willing to do. They haven’t earned this benefit of the doubt.

What Nuggets role player do you think shines over the next week?

Adam: A lot of good options here but I’ll go with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. He should shoot better at home and will likely play heavy minutes chasing around Ja Morant, Damian Lillard, and Devin Booker. If his knee isn’t hobbling him too badly, I think he’ll take center stage among the role players.

Harrison: I’m going to regret this but Zeke Nnaji. He probably won’t play at all this week — what evidence do we really have that he’ll get even get a shot — and this will be a waste of a paragraph. But I’ve got to think with how bad DeAndre Jordan has been as of late (in Jordan’s last six games the Nuggets are a -43 in his 64 minutes) we’ll see Nnaji. He’s a good defender and can shoot the 3. He’s not as good of a rebounder and isn’t the presence at the rim Jordan is, but I mean, come on. This has to be a stretch where he at least gets a chance. If Nnaji doesn’t play a ton over the next couple of weeks, then Calvin Booth should trade him. He’s wasting away here.

Brendan: Bones Hyland is a good basketball player. He’s young, flawed, and tasked with elevating some dreadful lineups, but he’s a dynamic talent. He won’t play this poorly all season. How about some home games against tough opponents to wake the competitor inside him? We’d all love to see the young guard turn it around.

What would an encouraging record for the Nuggets be over in their next 10 games?

(vs. Memphis, vs. Portland, vs. Phoenix, at Sacramento, at Sacramento, vs. Miami, vs. Boston, at Minnesota, vs. LA Clippers, vs. Cleveland)

Adam: 6-4 would be a good record. 7 or more wins would feel like a momentum builder. This is arguably the toughest 10-game stretch of the season and it’s unclear who will or will not be available for this stretch. But with adversity comes opportunity. Pressure makes diamonds. The Nuggets have slept-walked to the 3rd best record in the Western Conference. Now is their chance to wake up and become the team we all hope and believe that they can.

Harrison: 5-5. This is a gauntlet of a schedule for Denver, even though most of these upcoming games are at home. The Nuggets’ next 10 opponents are all .500 or better. Over the Nuggets’ next five games, they play four teams (they play the Kings twice) who are all top-5 in the West. Denver has Phoenix on Christmas Day. Portland comes to town later this week. Memphis is here tonight. Dates with Boston and Cleveland await. The Nuggets have so far been a disaster defensively against a fairly weak schedule. Hopefully, they can play up to their upcoming competition.

Brendan: What’s most different about this season are the questions we’re asking about the team. We know the Nuggets are good — very good, even. But can they be great? How close are they to a title? The new set of questions raises the bar higher than ever. 6-4 would be acceptable, but they need seven or more wins to inspire encouragement. It’s time to be great against the good teams. They’re capable of it.