The List: Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. add much-needed length and athleticism on defense

1. Aaron Gordon’s on-ball defense has exceeded expectations. He had shown flashes of elite defense throughout his career, most notably in the first round of the 2019 NBA playoffs where he did an admirable job against Kawhi Leonard over the course of their five-game series. But through four games with the Denver Nuggets, Gordon has looked like a first-team all-defensive wing.

2. Michael Porter Jr. has made strides as an on-ball defender as well. Against the Clippers, Porter made a key defensive stop on Leonard in the final minute of the game.

3. Porter still makes more mental errors than the more veteran players on the roster but he is light years ahead of where he was at the start of the season. In the clip below, he gets stuck in no man’s land rather than stunting over at Wendell Carter Jr. and recovering quickly to his man out on the wing.

4. In addition to allowing the Nuggets to switch ball screens and off ball screens between all guards and forwards, Gordon also allows the Nuggets to switch on closeouts and recoveries. In the clips below, the Nuggets are able to fully commit to stopping the rim roller in PnR while “X-ing out” the rotation on the back side. The added speed and versatility on plays like the ones below are a large reason why Gordon has helped elevate Denver’s defense as a whole.

5. That versatility allows the Nuggets to get more aggressive on the defensive end.

6. And as Denver’s defense has become more aggressive, both Gordon and Porter Jr. have shined as helpside rim protectors.

7. This was a great heads up play by Paul Millsap.

The Full List