Darrell Arthur smiles when his name appears in the same sentence as “3-point shooting” — because such a mention is a wonderful but rare thing.
Arthur, the Nuggets’ veteran power forward, is already known for his ability to make a jump shot. In pick-and-roll situations, he helps space the court as a “pick-and-pop” big, meaning instead of rolling to the basket, he fades out of screens and makes himself available to catch the ball and shoot midrange jumpers.
But lately, Arthur has stretched his range to the 3-point line.
Going into Friday night’s game against San Antonio, Arthur was shooting 33.3 percent from beyond the arc, which is not only the second-best percentage of his career, but also the fourth-best percentage on the team among those who have played 10 or more games.
“I’ve been working on it, just trying to stay consistent,” Arthur said. “Just trying to find my way into the game. And lately, the shot has come to me.”
He’s 3-of-6 from the left side of the court, including 2-of-4 from the left corner. Arthur is 1-of-6 from everywhere else.
In his career, Arthur has shown the ability to hit the 3-point shot.
He made 37.5 percent of his 3-point tries in 2013-14, his first season with the Nuggets. Last season, that percentage dipped to 23 percent.
Footnotes. Saturday’s game at Dallas begins a five-game road trip over the next eight days. It’s one of two five-game road trips, which are the team’s two longest road trips of the year. The Nuggets are a respectable 3-4 on the road this season.
Christopher Dempsey, The Denver Post
Denver at Dallas
When: 6:30 p.m. Saturday
TV/Radio: NBA/ALT2; 950 AM
Spotlight on Zaza Pachulia:
The Mavericks missed out on the big fish of NBA free agency during the summer when center DeAndre Jordan decided to remain with the Los Angeles Clippers, but Pachulia has been a pleasant surprise in the Dallas frontcourt. The 13-year veteran, acquired in a trade with the Milwaukee Bucks, is averaging a career-high 9.4 rebounds to go with 10.4 points, which would stand as his highest scoring rate since the 2006-07 season, when he was with the Atlanta Hawks. Pachulia has recorded nine double-doubles this season.
Nick Kosmider, The Denver Post
