The Denver Post’s Gina Mizell answered your questions about the in a live Lunch Special chat.
Here are the highlights:
What’s the latest on ? When do you think he’ll be back and how big of an impact do you think he’ll have?
Gina: We actually just got news about this at shootaround — Millsap’s hard cast has been taken off, which means he can ramp up his conditioning work in addition to rehab to get the strength back in his wrist and hand. The All-Star break has always been the soft timetable for his return, and Malone said today that’s still the case. That’s suddenly not too far away (mid-February). The human body can be unpredictable, but it sounds like everything is moving in a positive direction with no unexpected setbacks.
doesn’t seem to be a long-term solution for the Nuggets at small forward. Are there any big free agents in the offseason they should pursue? Or even someone from the draft?
Gina: Chandler’s offensive season has definitely been inconsistent at best, though his defense in this big starting lineup has been praised by Malone and teammates. If Denver makes a move at the trade deadline, I wouldn’t be shocked if it got a wing (or viable backup point guard) in return. I’ll be honest — I haven’t dug too much into potential free agent/draft targets at that position. Blame it on me going through the grind of an NBA regular season for the first time.
Are any of the Nuggets going to make the all-star game? I feel like absolutely deserves a spot, but the West is so stacked …
Gina: You’re right in that the West is stacked with talent. If Jokic plays like he did at Golden State, he’ll make a strong push for one of those reserve big man spots. I wonder if his seven-game absence from the injury will hurt him, as well. One could also argue that deserves consideration, given his uptick in scoring/playmaking to go along with his perimeter defense. They were both outside the top 10 in the first fan vote returns, but media ballot (which I have) and coach’s selections obviously also play a role in who becomes an All-Star.
Who do you think has won the /Donovan Mitchell trade so far?
Gina: Terrific question. I know that trade has been a sore spot for a lot of Nuggets fans (and at the root of a lot of snarky comments from Jazz fans) … but where would Denver be without Trey Lyles right now? His versatility, skill and consistency while basically stepping into the rotation cold after Millsap’s injury has been remarkable. Now, is he a future franchise cornerstone, as many believe Mitchell to be? Not exactly. And, man, Mitchell is fun to watch on both ends of the floor. But this could be a situation where both teams “won” in the deal–even if one benefits more in the short-term and one in the long-term.
You had a nice back and forth with Kiszla yesterday about Faried. It seems like this has been a story in Colorado for almost the entire life of his contract (which somehow went from overvalued to undervalued and back to overvalued during its lifetime).
Is this finally the year? Any idea whether the team would look to target usable talent in return or would it be a straight salary dump?
Gina: Appreciate that — look out for those “debates” with Kiz every other week (he’ll do an Avs one with Mike Chambers the other weeks). I obviously haven’t been here for the duration of the Faried saga, but he no longer has a rotation spot on this roster, even with Millsap out. So, yeah, conventional wisdom would say he’s definitely a potential trade piece. But deals can be tough to make. As I said in that piece with Kiz, Denver could benefit by shedding some salary with Harris’ extension about to kick in and Jokic needing a max deal soon. But they could explore getting a backup point guard or wing.
Who’s your most improved player so far this year? I like Victor Oladipo, but made big strides this season.
Gina: Oladipo is a great answer. I’d maybe throw Aaron Gordon in there too, even though his team took a sharp nosedive after a nice start. And Murray has taking terrific strides in his second season. He just looks so confident in his shot and has also become a savvy rebounder. I’m sure there’s another very obvious candidate in the NBA that I’m just blanking on right now …
Is there anybody we should be looking at for backup point guard via trade? I tend to think we need some kind of defensive specialist at the guard position.
Gina: Right now, Barton is Murray’s backup and Mudiay is out of the rotation. That’s why it would make sense for Denver to explore adding a backup point guard at the trade deadline. Tyreke Evans is a name I’ve seen floated around, though he doesn’t fit the defensive specialist tag you mentioned. But he’s an expiring contract that a team could “rent” for the rest of the season. Plus, Malone was his coach in Sacramento.
Do you expect and to be a part of the roster for the rest of the year?
Gina: Right now I would probably lean no that BOTH of them will still be here after the trade deadline. Will both be GONE? That’s tough to predict. Again, trades are difficult.
Can the Nuggets sustain a playoff push with Paul Millsap injured?
Gina: Well, they already have for more that 20 games, entering tonight in seventh place in the West. I’m actually most interested to see how he re-integrates himself once he returns. How much time does it take him to regain his rhythm personally? And how long does it take for him to regain that chemistry with teammates? Remember, this was not a seamless transition at first. But the Nuggets were just starting to find their groove when Millsap went down. Do they pick up there? Or does it become a process again? That’ll be a huge storyline down the stretch.
When Paul Millsap comes back, what does that mean for Trey Lyles?
Gina: Another layer to the Millsap storyline! Lyles has definitely earned significant minutes. So does that just expand the rotation? Does that take some minutes away from someone like , who is currently starting and has been a solid defensive anchor? The good thing about Lyles is that he can play the 3, 4 and 5 and can score both in the post and on the perimeter. That versatility will help him stay on the floor, because he can be plugged into a number of different lineups.
Which arena press box has the best food?
Gina: Haha, I like off-the-wall questions like this. This might seem like an odd answer, but Detroit’s new arena has a great setup because there are a ton of options. There’s a more “traditional” dinner that you’ll find in most press rooms (chicken/beef, salad, side dishes, etc.). But they also had stuff you’d find on the concourse — hot dogs, pizza, etc. Plus, any arena that has a fro-yo machine immediately shoots up to the top of my list. And some of the food was available all game and even after, which is nice because many of us stick around for a couple hours after the game to write all our stories. When you eat at 6pm and are still working at midnight, it’s nice to have snacks available.
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