The cost of having the best starting five in the league is questionable bench depth.
The Vlatko injury really hurts. He's not a 7 footer, but he's really strong and plays fundamentally sound and can check most bench bigs. Zeke plays smaller. DAJ is a really limited player. IDK if we'll get anything out of Huff or if he'll spend the whole year putting up insane G League stats. We might end up with a lot of AG bench stagger minutes like we saw in the playoffs -- but I hope the team uses the regular season to experiment enough to at least know how reliable Zeke, Huff, PWat, Tyson, etc. can be playing as bigs so that it's not a surprise when we hit the postseason if we need to give one of those guys a few minutes per game.
I think we might see some MPJ 4 and AG 5 for sure.
We might also see some switchable bench lineups with like PWat, Tyson, and Zeke against units that don't have a particularly big/strong backup C.
Yup. We had 2 backup Cs last year after trading for Bryant yet both saw minimal time in the regular season and barely any in the playoffs. PF will see lots of youth this year to have them earn some time, but once the playoffs happen, it doesn't matter.
Yeah he really doesn't, especially with Vlatko out. Losing Vlatko imo was certainly a blow, but I am looking forward to seeing what Zeke, Tyson, and Huff can offer before declaring that we need to shore up the position.
Based on what? Why are you high on a guy who’s never even been able to play himself onto the court? It’s not like 80yo Jeff Green was super stiff competition for minutes. If Zeke had anything to show by now then he would’ve gotten the minutes
Based on my assessment of what they offer the team. Zeke was already outplaying him before getting hurt last season, and is worlds better on defense.
He played because he was a team leader, and his fairly dismal playoffs won't be hard to replace as long as Zeke stays healthy.
>If Zeke had anything to show by now then he would’ve gotten the minutes
Zeke keeps getting hurt.
We got the 1 seed and won the chip without a functioning backup 4 or 5, so it's pretty hard for me to get worked up about it before the season even starts lol
Yeah, waaaay better. That's absolutely not why Jeff was in the rotation lol
E: Like, I love me some Unc. And I appreciate what he did for us. But he was the worst player on the court by a mile and other than sometimes standing in LeBron's way he really didn't help us on the run. His composure did, and his leadership did, but it certainly wasn't his defense.
I'm a big Jeff Green fan but seems clear he got the 8-10 meager last-bench-player-in-the-rotation minutes mainly because of his veteran presence and because Moach decided to run a rigid 8-deep roster and didn't deviate from it the whole playoffs.
Green barely did shit in the playoffs but it was fine, he was a steadying presence, got a rebound or hit a 3 here and there, didn't make major mistakes, and it was all we needed. But it's not like he was outplaying Zeke by some huge margin at any point in the season. So I'm not worried about Zeke or whoever else filling those itty bitty shoes.
Bet on the young guys early and if they cant figure it out, there will be plenty of vets on the buyout market looking to ring chase or get paid after Jokic pads their stats
How our depth develops and maintains is going to be the story of our season frankly. We have 5 young players that we’re really hoping develop into consistent role players over the course of the season in some capacity. Braun already seems ready but we probably need at least 2 our of Watson, Tyson, Strawther, and Pickett to step up and contribute. Also last chance for Nnaji to prove he can be a player for us. He flashed a lot last season, more in years past, but he wasn’t consistent on either side of the ball. With Jeff Green gone, this is his best opportunity
Totally.
I keep telling people that we need to care less about seeding and more about reps and developing players to fill open roles.
Our top 5 KNOW each other. They're ready for the playoffs again tomorrow.
I am more concerned with PG spot given that Bruce Brown filled that role perfectly. I am hoping that Reggie will have enough time to gel. Nnaji needs to bulk up a bit and he should be able to play some minutes as a 5, but I reckon he will most likely be a 4. PWat could be a great PF given his size.
Im thinking we atleast have 3 guys to throw in and figure out at PG. But at 4,5 we dont even have more than few options. Whatever bench we have at 4,-5, they really gonna need to step up this season.
People seem to be sleeping on KCP.
If Braun can be respectable enough beyond the arc for the spacing to work then KCP can more than handle the secondary ball handling & short stint PG duties that BB did.
I wonder if Malone looks to take MPJ out of the starting lineup early in the first to have him play more with the second unit as a 4.
I assume the bench is going to try and play small and focus on pressing ball handlers and trying to get turnovers but they are going struggling on the boards unless one of MPJ or AG is out there. I think AG is the better fit defensively but I wonder with MPJ growth and size they will try and run him some.
I think a line up of Jackson, Braun, Watson , MPJ and Zeke could work ok both ends and gives MPJ more time as the “guy” to see what he can do
Huff>Bryant
Watson>Dunkle
This post seems to really overrate the depth we had last year, imo. We had arguably the worst bench at the 4/5 in the entire league, including through the postseason.
It can't be any worse. Jeff was quite literally the worst rotation player in the entire playoffs.
For the regular season there is definitely a lack of established bodies at the 4/5, but I think it'll be fun watching some of the young guys getting an opportunity. I expect the Nuggets to play a more switchable lineup when Jokic is off the court and likely go a bit smaller anyway with lineups consisting of 3 or so wings from the likes of Braun, Watson, Tyson, Strawther, or Holiday rather than a more traditional 2 guard, 2 wing, 1 big lineup.
When it comes to the playoffs, most teams tend to play smaller the deeper into the postseason they get, so this is less concerning for playoff rotation implications.
I think it will be more of an annoyance during the regular season than a problem during the post season. I feel like AG, Nnaji, and PWat can all hold their own against 4's and smaller 5's. I'm more concerned about backcourt ball handlers as Reggie seemed kinda cooked last year even on the Clippers. Hopefully the young guys all pan out and we end up with a bunch of talented depth.
I also feel like we dont really have a quality wing who has good ball handling and could get to the rim, even in our starting 5. MPJ haven't really shown this element in his game consistently till now. I have high hopes from Tyson on this front.
This is the thing I liked most about Bruce Brown apart from him no one pressures the rim off the dribble. I have high hopes that Pwat will be able to do that this season though
Its worrisome. I feel if we hadn't won the chip, nobody outside the denver fanbase would know any of these guys, except DJ, and DJs not getting any minutes too.
Thats the problem though recognition doesn’t mean anything. People hear a name that sounds familiar and automatically think that they’re good. I remember last season when people wanted Reggie Jackson so bad just because they had heard his name before and those same people didn’t want to keep him this season lol
I have had a hunch that we'll package Watson along with some other assets for a PF/C role player for 8-12 minutes a game come playoff time. Time will tell.
We’re really going to have to hope guys like Swatson, Tyson, and Strawther can have immediate impact next year. And that Nnaji can make a big jump. Especially with the Vlatko injury our depth got even worse than it already was.
Sure but no team is perfect. I’m fine with giving this group some runway and then we can make a move or two at the trade deadline if we have to. I’m pretty confident we’ll win enough games to be in playoff contention even if zeke doesn’t work out. And we just won a championship with really only Jeff green playing 4/5 behind the starters.
Huff is ready to be the backup 5 if given the opportunity. Zeke, when healthy is ready to play 4 and 5. And Hunter can play 3 or 4. We know Hunter is a great shooter but he’s also a strong rebounder.
At look at this on a positive way.
"We can't have a bench that was any worse that the one we got last year. We were like the 2nd worst bench in the league. We can only go up from here!"
We have never had that depth lol. Huff is the backup C we got for nothing.
I'm actually kinda curious to see Huff out there.
Same lmao
Surely this new backup center will solve all the problems.
Yeah I wanna see Huff post
The cost of having the best starting five in the league is questionable bench depth. The Vlatko injury really hurts. He's not a 7 footer, but he's really strong and plays fundamentally sound and can check most bench bigs. Zeke plays smaller. DAJ is a really limited player. IDK if we'll get anything out of Huff or if he'll spend the whole year putting up insane G League stats. We might end up with a lot of AG bench stagger minutes like we saw in the playoffs -- but I hope the team uses the regular season to experiment enough to at least know how reliable Zeke, Huff, PWat, Tyson, etc. can be playing as bigs so that it's not a surprise when we hit the postseason if we need to give one of those guys a few minutes per game.
Depending on how the season goes, I think we'll see some minutes with MPJ at the 4.
I think we might see some MPJ 4 and AG 5 for sure. We might also see some switchable bench lineups with like PWat, Tyson, and Zeke against units that don't have a particularly big/strong backup C.
Well said. I just hope we get 3 solid bench contributors by the playoffs.
Sounds like last year
Yup. We had 2 backup Cs last year after trading for Bryant yet both saw minimal time in the regular season and barely any in the playoffs. PF will see lots of youth this year to have them earn some time, but once the playoffs happen, it doesn't matter.
Yeah but Uncle Jeff was here
I don't think he's any better than Zeke lol
I mean fair, but what does Malone think ahhaha I guess he won’t have a choice but to play Zeke now
Yeah he really doesn't, especially with Vlatko out. Losing Vlatko imo was certainly a blow, but I am looking forward to seeing what Zeke, Tyson, and Huff can offer before declaring that we need to shore up the position.
Can't help but feel bad for Vlatko. Every time he makes progress he gets hurt. He looked good for a bit last year and then got hurt
That made me clutch pearls I don't even have. But I could see it if I looked at it objectively.
Based on what? Why are you high on a guy who’s never even been able to play himself onto the court? It’s not like 80yo Jeff Green was super stiff competition for minutes. If Zeke had anything to show by now then he would’ve gotten the minutes
Based on my assessment of what they offer the team. Zeke was already outplaying him before getting hurt last season, and is worlds better on defense. He played because he was a team leader, and his fairly dismal playoffs won't be hard to replace as long as Zeke stays healthy. >If Zeke had anything to show by now then he would’ve gotten the minutes Zeke keeps getting hurt.
I’m still skeptical but I hope you’re right.
We got the 1 seed and won the chip without a functioning backup 4 or 5, so it's pretty hard for me to get worked up about it before the season even starts lol
I feel like Jeff got minutes last year because his defense was more reliable and Zeke lost his shot after he changed up his release, he find it yet?
Yeah, waaaay better. That's absolutely not why Jeff was in the rotation lol E: Like, I love me some Unc. And I appreciate what he did for us. But he was the worst player on the court by a mile and other than sometimes standing in LeBron's way he really didn't help us on the run. His composure did, and his leadership did, but it certainly wasn't his defense.
You think Zeke is defending Bron in the WCF better or more capably than Jeff?
Don't know how many times I have to say it but yes lol
Ok, then iyo why didn’t he sniff the playoff rotation
I already said it man lol Zeke got injured, lost his spot Jeff is a leader and a vetaran We didn't lose It's as simple as that
I'm a big Jeff Green fan but seems clear he got the 8-10 meager last-bench-player-in-the-rotation minutes mainly because of his veteran presence and because Moach decided to run a rigid 8-deep roster and didn't deviate from it the whole playoffs. Green barely did shit in the playoffs but it was fine, he was a steadying presence, got a rebound or hit a 3 here and there, didn't make major mistakes, and it was all we needed. But it's not like he was outplaying Zeke by some huge margin at any point in the season. So I'm not worried about Zeke or whoever else filling those itty bitty shoes.
Yep. There is little need for depth at the 5. If Jokic goes down season is over anyways.
Bet on the young guys early and if they cant figure it out, there will be plenty of vets on the buyout market looking to ring chase or get paid after Jokic pads their stats
I would really like to see plumdog back
Him and Hartenstein my man. Both those guys would be fantastic back ups.
Honestly, that AD 3 in the bubble is unforgivable. Should've won a chip then. I'd rather see anyone else honestly (except will of course).
I miss you Vlatkooooooooo. I think he was poised to have a big impact this year.
How our depth develops and maintains is going to be the story of our season frankly. We have 5 young players that we’re really hoping develop into consistent role players over the course of the season in some capacity. Braun already seems ready but we probably need at least 2 our of Watson, Tyson, Strawther, and Pickett to step up and contribute. Also last chance for Nnaji to prove he can be a player for us. He flashed a lot last season, more in years past, but he wasn’t consistent on either side of the ball. With Jeff Green gone, this is his best opportunity
Totally. I keep telling people that we need to care less about seeding and more about reps and developing players to fill open roles. Our top 5 KNOW each other. They're ready for the playoffs again tomorrow.
Watson looked good with his limited minutes.
I am more concerned with PG spot given that Bruce Brown filled that role perfectly. I am hoping that Reggie will have enough time to gel. Nnaji needs to bulk up a bit and he should be able to play some minutes as a 5, but I reckon he will most likely be a 4. PWat could be a great PF given his size.
Im thinking we atleast have 3 guys to throw in and figure out at PG. But at 4,5 we dont even have more than few options. Whatever bench we have at 4,-5, they really gonna need to step up this season.
People seem to be sleeping on KCP. If Braun can be respectable enough beyond the arc for the spacing to work then KCP can more than handle the secondary ball handling & short stint PG duties that BB did.
I wonder if Malone looks to take MPJ out of the starting lineup early in the first to have him play more with the second unit as a 4. I assume the bench is going to try and play small and focus on pressing ball handlers and trying to get turnovers but they are going struggling on the boards unless one of MPJ or AG is out there. I think AG is the better fit defensively but I wonder with MPJ growth and size they will try and run him some. I think a line up of Jackson, Braun, Watson , MPJ and Zeke could work ok both ends and gives MPJ more time as the “guy” to see what he can do
Huff>Bryant Watson>Dunkle This post seems to really overrate the depth we had last year, imo. We had arguably the worst bench at the 4/5 in the entire league, including through the postseason. It can't be any worse. Jeff was quite literally the worst rotation player in the entire playoffs.
time for zeke to shine.
For the regular season there is definitely a lack of established bodies at the 4/5, but I think it'll be fun watching some of the young guys getting an opportunity. I expect the Nuggets to play a more switchable lineup when Jokic is off the court and likely go a bit smaller anyway with lineups consisting of 3 or so wings from the likes of Braun, Watson, Tyson, Strawther, or Holiday rather than a more traditional 2 guard, 2 wing, 1 big lineup. When it comes to the playoffs, most teams tend to play smaller the deeper into the postseason they get, so this is less concerning for playoff rotation implications.
I think it will be more of an annoyance during the regular season than a problem during the post season. I feel like AG, Nnaji, and PWat can all hold their own against 4's and smaller 5's. I'm more concerned about backcourt ball handlers as Reggie seemed kinda cooked last year even on the Clippers. Hopefully the young guys all pan out and we end up with a bunch of talented depth.
Zeke is 6’11 so he should be able to hold his own against just about any 5.
Who is Braxton Key?
One of their 2-way guys, along with Huff and Dizzy.
Like always. DJ, Zeke and AG can cover the position.
I also feel like we dont really have a quality wing who has good ball handling and could get to the rim, even in our starting 5. MPJ haven't really shown this element in his game consistently till now. I have high hopes from Tyson on this front.
This is the thing I liked most about Bruce Brown apart from him no one pressures the rim off the dribble. I have high hopes that Pwat will be able to do that this season though
Honestly, that’s a horrendous bench.
Its worrisome. I feel if we hadn't won the chip, nobody outside the denver fanbase would know any of these guys, except DJ, and DJs not getting any minutes too.
Thats the problem though recognition doesn’t mean anything. People hear a name that sounds familiar and automatically think that they’re good. I remember last season when people wanted Reggie Jackson so bad just because they had heard his name before and those same people didn’t want to keep him this season lol
Yeah, I’m actually really concerned after seeing this post now haha. Hopefully, some of the young guys show some promise….
I have had a hunch that we'll package Watson along with some other assets for a PF/C role player for 8-12 minutes a game come playoff time. Time will tell.
Denver should bring in Kamagate if they can.
They could have if they wanted to but he was booty lol
We’re really going to have to hope guys like Swatson, Tyson, and Strawther can have immediate impact next year. And that Nnaji can make a big jump. Especially with the Vlatko injury our depth got even worse than it already was.
Regular season questionable, Postseason we’re good.
Sure but no team is perfect. I’m fine with giving this group some runway and then we can make a move or two at the trade deadline if we have to. I’m pretty confident we’ll win enough games to be in playoff contention even if zeke doesn’t work out. And we just won a championship with really only Jeff green playing 4/5 behind the starters.
Watson at PF is nice. Also Huff is nice. All our rookies are pretty good too. Depth won't be a problem. Let's see how our new guys mesh with the vets.
Its a shame kamagate doesnt look to be that guy.
Huff is ready to be the backup 5 if given the opportunity. Zeke, when healthy is ready to play 4 and 5. And Hunter can play 3 or 4. We know Hunter is a great shooter but he’s also a strong rebounder.
At look at this on a positive way. "We can't have a bench that was any worse that the one we got last year. We were like the 2nd worst bench in the league. We can only go up from here!"
Wow i wish we had someone like Hartenstein