The Nuggets finally have their second unit figured out

It took six games, but the Nuggets have found their blueprint for a consistent second unit.

The secret? Michael Porter Jr. staggering with a bench group that includes Bones Hyland, rookie Christian Braun, Jeff Green and DeAndre Jordan. That group torched the Jazz last night at Ball Arena for 46 points in just 13 minutes on the floor together. The Nuggets outscored the Jazz by 17 points with that lineup. They shot 55.2% from the field and 8-14 (57.1%) from 3. It’s what broke Friday’s game open and powered Denver to a 117-101 blowout win.

“We have to have a starter on the floor at all times if possible,” Michael Malone said.

Through the first five games of the regular season, the Nuggets were falling apart whenever Nikola Jokic went to the bench. Denver had a -32.8 Net Rating in the first 72 minutes of the season with Jokic off the floor. That came out to a -45 in 94 minutes. That’s hard to do and significantly worse than the -7.9 Net Rating the Nuggets had without Jokic last season.

There was always an obvious solution on the table. Porter staggering with the second unit always made sense, and it’s the combination Malone says he’s been wanting to implement all year. Early-season injuries, like Porter missing Wednesday’s game against the Lakers, prevented him from getting there earlier.

Around the six-minute mark of the first quarter, Porter subs out so he can re-enter the game later in the period with the bench. When that happens he’s surrounded by Hyland, Braun, Green and Jordan. With a fully healthy roster, Bruce Brown comes off the bench too (he started for an injured Kentavious Caldwell-Pope last night) but will split time with the starters while Porter runs with the bench.

Hyland, the second unit sparkplug, sunk 7-12 3s last night and is maybe the best long-range shooter in the NBA.

“Those are shots he can make,” said Malone. “This is a different generation of NBA players. Guys that have unlimited range.”

Hyland and Porter are the focal points of the second unit’s offense. Green and Jordan are on the floor for the dirty work. Braun, who’s quickly become a fan favorite in Denver, does a little bit of everything. His motor, nose for the ball, and level of effort on every defensive possession is just what this roster needed. What a first draft pick for Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth.

“This roster allows me to be myself,” Braun said last night.

The duo of Porter and Hyland gives that group more than enough of a scoring punch too. Putting arguably two of the Nuggets’ best shooters on the floor at the same time helps your spacing…just a little. Porter has opened the year shooting 20-37 (54.1%) from 3. And he’s been taking the same difficult Michael Porter signature 3s that he always has. He’s a generational shooter. Porter is averaging 7.4 3-point attempts per game. That number should probably be closer to 10.

“Dynamic shooters,” Hyland said of him and Porter. “I feel like it opens the floor up even more having a player like Mike out there. You leave him just a little bit, it’s bottoms.”

Another element of Denver’s second unit is its backup center. DeAndre Jordan pulled down 13 points to go with 12 rebounds last night. He had his Mason Plumlee moment too when he splashed an end of the shot clock 3 in the second half. Hyland said last night that he really enjoys playing with Jordan, who’s more of a rim-rolling presence than the Nuggets employed last season. Jordan’s a good screener and rebounder for a backup center too. For all the consternation around Denver signing Jordan in free agency, he’s been fine.

Together, that group gives the Nuggets a really good chance with Jokic off the floor. In the past, Denver had just tried to survive when its back-to-back MVP went to the bench twice per game. This lineup gives the Nuggets a chance to thrive when that happens.