Nuggets forward Darrell Arthur has played solid basketball this season. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
PHILADELPHIA — There he was again, if only for but a few fleeting moments due to foul trouble, sinking jumper after jumper again.
Eight points, two 3-point shots.
One vintage-looking Darrell Arthur.
Already known as a pick-and-pop forward Arthur’s jump shooting is going through a renaissance. And by extension, so is he.
Arthur’s scored in double figures in five of his last eight games. He’s shooting 55.3 percent from the field in that span, 75 percent from 3-point range and averaging 11.8 points.
He’s 27-of-50 (54 percent) in jump shots alone.
Shot chart of Darrell Arthur’s last eight games.
Arthur said it’s been four years since his jumper has felt so good.
“The 2011 season before I tore my Achilles, it was going the way it’s going right now,” Arthur said. “Just been trying to be consistent working on it with our coaches, John Beckett and Ryan Bowen.”
But that’s not all. As one of the Nuggets’ top reserves, his 7.0 points per game is currently the second-highest points average of his career. He’s obliterating his career highest 3-point percentage, which was 37.5 percent in 2013-14. It’s 47.4 percent this year.
And, of utmost importance to Nuggets coach Michael Malone, Arthur is rebounding. Malone recently challenged Arthur to be better on the glass, and he’s responded. His 4.0 average on the boards is his highest average since the 2010-11 season. Arthur is averaging 4.6 in his last eight.
“Just trying to stay consistent doing a lot of different things, too, like working on ball handling and working on finishes down low,” Arthur said. “Just trying to get my overall game right. My body is finally feeling pretty good. During these last three years I’ve just been building up my body and my legs. My legs feel great. Just trying to go out there and give all I can.”
Watching to learn. On-court experience is the best teacher. But sometimes you have to watch to learn. In the last two games, rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay has not played down the stretch of the Nuggets’ two wins.
Instead, Nuggets coach Michael Malone has gone with veteran Jameer Nelson at the point, part of an experienced crew on the court that has sewn up wins at Toronto and Philadelphia.
Mudiay shrugged off not being on the court late in those two games.
“I just hope we win,” he said. “But what I learned is one possession at a time, don’t force anything. Just take one possession at a time.”
Full-throated return. Chris Marlowe, the play-by-play voice of Nuggets basketball, has signed a new four-year deal with Altitude Sports and Entertainment to continue in his current position. Currently in his 11th season calling Nuggets games, he’s been a fan favorite for his energetic calls and for the professional manner with which he handles the broadcasts.
Follow Chris Dempsey on Twitter @dempseypost or email him at cdempsey@denverpost.com
