Whole again with the return of four players lost last season to major injuries, the Nuggets enter the season with perhaps their deepest roster in franchise history.
There is so much quality depth that the projected second five of Nate Robinson, Randy Foye, Wilson Chandler, J.J. Hickson and JaVale McGee has started more games combined than some NBA teams’ current starting fives.
There is so much depth that the Nuggets two first-round draft picks, center Jusuf Nurkic and shooting guard Gary Harris, are not expected to see much playing time unless injuries open up a spot in the rotation.
Among coach Brian Shaw’s biggest challenges is getting the top 10 players in the rotation to buy into the idea of sacrificing minutes for the good of the team. With several players continuing to round themselves into top form as they come back from injuries, that might become an issue right away. The return of forward Danilo Gallinari (from injury) and guard Arron Afflalo (via trade) could help make the Nuggets one of the best shooting teams in the league.
Forward Kenneth Faried is looking to take the next step toward being an all-star player, but the Nuggets won’t win big unless point guard Ty Lawson is healthy and on the court for the majority of the season.
No. 3 Ty Lawson
Position: PG
Height: 5-11
Age: 26
2013-14 key stats: 17.6 points, 8.8 assists, 1.6 steals per game
Strengths: Speed. Few defenders can stay in front of him, and getting into the lane is his biggest strength. From there, he can finish over bigger players or collapse a defense and pick out the right pass to an open teammate.
Weaknesses: Lawson has been open about the need to improve his ballhandling and reduce his turnovers, so we’ll start there. He put in more work in that area in the summer. He needs to improve his effectiveness on his pull-up jump shot as well as grow as a leader.
Outlook: Lawson is the Nuggets’ most important player. Time and again this team has shown that it can manage without other players on the roster for short periods of time, but when Lawson misses games the offense grinds to a halt. His playmaking is indispensable.
Did you know? Ty Lawson’s assist average has risen every year he’s been in the NBA.
No. 10 Arron Afflalo
Position: SG
Height: 6-5
Age: 29
2013-14 key stats: 18.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists (with Orlando)
Strengths: Afflalo has always been an above average defender. But he’s also a versatile scorer. He can post up, hit the 3-pointer, slash to the rim and finish on fast breaks. And his locker room leadership is arguably his most valuable asset.
Weaknesses: Ballhandling. He can be prone to the lost-ball turnover, especially in traffic, and throwing bad passes when he’s not totally dialed in on the possession.
Outlook: Afflalo’s arrival should help the Nuggets in the areas of professionalism, defensive mindset and sacrifice for team. He can put up big scoring numbers, but the Nuggets with their depth won’t always need that.
Did you know? Afflalo’s nickname “Triple A” is an ode to his full name: Arron Agustin Afflalo
No. 25 Timofey Mozgov
Position: C
Height: 7-1
Age: 28
2013-14 key stats: 9.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.2 blocks per game
Strengths: Mozgov’s paint presence is arguably the best on the team. He can post up and score, attack the offensive glass and is a solid position defender. He’s also a good free-throw shooter at a position where many NBA players struggle.
Weaknesses: Doesn’t finish plays at the rim from time to time and is prone to the lost-ball turnover.
Outlook: Mozgov is the best center on the roster, and is rapidly improving. He ought to give the Nuggets their best, most consistent post presence in years.
Did you know? If you take Mozgov’s stats last season and average them out per 36 minutes, they would have been 15.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks.
No. 35 Kenneth Faried
Position: PF
Height: 6-8
Age: 24
2013-14 key stats: 13.7 points, 8.6 rebounds, 54.5% shooting
Strengths: Faried’s most valuable asset is his energy. His constant energy has been a boost to the Nuggets since he arrived, and now he’s begun to marry that with offensive skill. He’s improved his scoring in the post as well as his jump shot. And, he’s shown great improvement with his free-throw shooting.
Weaknesses: Though he’s made great strides on offense, his game is not where he wants it, yet. His ballhandling in traffic remains shaky, and it will have to improve for coach Brian Shaw to give him the green light to dribble up court after defensive rebounds.
Outlook: Recipient of a new contract, expect Faried to continue to climb the ladder among the best power forwards in the league. No Nuggets player is more driven to become an elite player than Faried.
Did you know? Faried has a 4- year-old daughter named Kyra.
No. 8 Danilo Gallinari
Position: SF
Height: 6-10
Age: 26
2013-14 key stats: Missed the season due to knee surgery.
Strengths: Gallinari’s versatility on offense and defense is his biggest strength. He can shoot from the perimeter and slash to the rim. That skill set, combined with his height, makes him a matchup problem for opposing teams on a near-nightly basis. Defensively, he’s long and can guard both the small and power forward positions.
Weaknesses: He’s known as a shooter, but Gallo’s career shooting percentage is just 41.9 percent. So he’ll need to work to get that average and efficiency level up. And, of course, continue to gain confidence in his surgically-repaired knee.
Outlook: Expect a gradual rise in Gallinari’s level of play. He’s got several hurdles to get over including playing 30 minutes on a regular basis, getting chemistry with his teammates, and getting his timing down.
Did you know? Gallinari is a huge fan of Italian soccer club AC Milan.
No. 5 Nate Robinson
Position: PG/SG
Height: 5-9
Age: 30
2013-14 key stats: 10.4 points, 2.5 assists, 37.7 percent 3-point shooting
Strengths: Competitiveness. He never backs down, never gives up, and always plays with energy. He is an effective if erratic 3-point shooter and excellent at slashing to the lane with his quickness.
Weaknesses: Robinson can be goaded into one-on-one play, and has a bit of a wild streak in shooting and passing.
Outlook: Robinson gives the Nuggets another ballhandler off the bench, and is a deadly scorer when he heats up. It will take time for Robinson to get back to his normal self after ACL surgery earlier this year, but, as he did last season, gives the Nuggets perimeter firepower in a reserve role.
Did you know? Robinson played both football and basketball at the University of Washington.
No. 11 Erick Green
Position: PG
Height: 6-6
Age: 23
2013-14 key stats: Rookie season.
Strengths: A cat-quick guard who can score in bunches.
Weaknesses: Has worked on his defense, but still must cement that improvement with success in the NBA.
Outlook: Green is the third point guard on the team, and is a fine insurance policy in case of massive injuries.
Did you know? In four years at Virginia Tech, Green went from averaging 2.6 points per game to leading the nation in scoring at 25.0.
No. 4 Randy Foye
Position: SG
Height: 6-4
Age: 31
2013-14 key stats: 13.2 points, 3.5 assists, 38 percent 3-point shooting
Strengths: Shooting. He’s arguably the best 3-point shooter on the roster, and is the team’s best in catch-and-shoot situations. Underrated defender in close quarters, his strength makes him difficult to post up. Foye has also improved his playmaking in spot point-guard duty.
Weaknesses: Defense in space has been an issue. Foye has also been too willing to take passing risks that have resulted in turnovers.
Outlook: Foye’s move to the bench is the biggest reason the Nuggets bench should rank among the top five in the NBA. He brings a shooting touch, leadership, and the ability to be a consistent spark on a nightly basis.
Did you know? Foye once appeared as himself on the Canadian sitcom ‘Wingin’ It’
No. 14 Gary Harris
Position: SG
Height: 6-4
Age: 20
2013-14 key stats: Rookie season
Strengths: His primary strengths are perimeter defense and shooting.
Weaknesses: Inexperience.
Outlook: The opportunities might be sparse, but he’ll positively add to the defense and guard depth.
Did you know? Harris’ mother, Joy Holmes, played professionally for the WNBA’s Detroit Shock.
No. 34 JaVale McGee
Position: C
Height: 7-0
Age: 26
2013-14 key stats: 7.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.4 blocks in just five games
Strengths: McGee’s athleticism is among the best at his position in the league. A deadly shot-blocker, he is a beast on the defensive end.
Weaknesses: Fights with bouts of wildness offensively. Concentration has been known to dip precipitously when he’s fatigued.
Outlook: When he’s right, McGee is one of the best shot blockers in the NBA. He runs the court like a guard and can be a big-time finisher at the rim.
Did you know? McGee shot 33 percent from the 3-point line in his sophomore year at Nevada.
No. 23 Jusuf Nurkic
Position: C
Height: 6-11
Age: 20
2013-14 key stats: Rookie season
Strengths: Strength. At nearly 290 pounds, Nurkic uses that strength in his aggressiveness in getting rebounds.
Weaknesses: Very raw offensively. He’s only played organized basketball for five years.
Outlook: He starts the season as the Nuggets’ reserve center and adds needed bulk to the frontcourt.
Did you know? Nurkic was the MVP of the FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship Division B in the summer.
No. 7 J.J. Hickson
Position: PF
Height: 6-9
Age: 26
2013-14 key stats: 11.8 points, 9.2 rebounds
Strengths: Hickson is ‘heavy’ in the post, difficult to box out, grabs rebounds at a high rate, and finishes at the rim with dunks. He provides a ton of energy on both ends of the court.
Weaknesses: Hickson came to the Nuggets as a player expected to pop a quick outside jumper, but that touch left him last season. He’s looking to get that back this year.
Outlook: Hickson will miss the first five games due to a suspension, but when he plays he should feel right at home at power forward. He spent much of the past two seasons playing a lot of time as an undersized center. Hickson is a nightly double-double threat.
Did you know? Hickson was ranked the No. 10 recruit in the nation coming out of high school.
No. 00 Darrell Arthur
Position: PF
Height: 6-9
Age: 26
2013-14 key stats: 5.9 points, 3.1 rebounds
Strengths: The Nuggets best ‘pick-and-pop’ big, Arthur is also one of the team’s best defenders.
Weaknesses: Good, not great rebounder.
Outlook: He’ll start the season as the Nuggets primary reserve at power forward while Hickson serves a five-game suspension. We’ll look back at the season and wonder why he didn’t play more.
Did you know? Arthur is the first cousin of former NBAer Quinton Ross.
No. 21 Wilson Chandler
Position: SF
Height: 6-8
Age: 27
2013-14 key stats: 13.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists.
Strengths: Wilson Chandler can score inside on post-ups and outside on 3-point shots. He can put the ball on the floor and slash to the rim. Defensively, Chandler is one of the best on the team, able to guard guards and forwards.
Weaknesses: Lack of aggressiveness. Chandler’s unselfish nature robs his ability to be a big-time scorer on a nightly basis.
Outlook: Chandler dropped 15 pounds over the summer and looks to be in the best condition of his NBA career. His jump shot appears improved, and he looks to be poised to have his best pro season.
Did you know? Chandler left college at DePaul 10th on the school’s all-time blocked shots list.
No. 1 Alonzo Gee
Position: SF
Height: 6-6
Age: 27
2013-14 key stats: 4.0 points, 2.3 rebounds
Strengths: Defense. Gee has quick hands and even quicker feet, making him highly effective on the defensive end.
Weaknesses: Long-range shooting. Gee is capable of hitting from deep, but shoots a low percentage.
Outlook: Gee will likely be used in times of defensive need and in cases of foul trouble or significant injuries.
Did you know? Gee once played in the Polish Basketball League.
