The Nuggets return their top five scorers from last season, but itap their bench unit that has a distinctly different feel to it heading into Wednesday’s season opener at the .
Gone are veterans , , Devin Harris, and , which has created more playing time for versatile forward , backup big , , , and .
There’s no question that depth is a huge strength, but whether coach Mike Malone settles on a shorter bench as slides into a starting role remains to be seen.
“The luxury of our roster is we have a deep, deep squad,” Malone said. “You look at the play of our players throughout preseason, some tough decisions are gonna have to be made.”
With guard still out as he recovers from hip surgery, Malone said that Morris is going to play, which is no surprise following his promising preseason. Morris seized control of the second-unit offense, averaging 12.4 points and five assists through the preseason. The other two significant contributors off the bench are expected to be Lyles and Plumlee, both of whom played nearly 20 minutes per game last season. Expect Lyles’ number to go up given his ability to lead the team’s second unit offense.
Whereas the first-team offense largely runs through , the reserves have already made Lyles a focal point of their offensive system.
“Trey is a guy that has shown me ever since we traded for him on draft night, he’s a guy that can make plays off the bounce, and the reason I think he’s such a versatile offensive player is shooting the three, scoring in the post against a mismatch as well as playing off the dribble,” Malone said. “His ability to make plays for himself and for his teammates is kind of what separates himself from a lot of other power forwards in the game.”
Lyles, at 6-10, has the ability to be a three-level scorer (paint, midrange and 3-point line) causing matchup nightmares for opponents. Following his inconsistent playing time last season – as a result of ’s wrist injury – Lyles said itap comforting knowing he has a more clearly defined role.
“You know when you’re going to go in, when you’re going to come out,” Lyles said. “That helps out a lot. You know when you’re gonna have your opportunity. Itap just left up to you to go out there and do something with it.”
That leaves former first-round picks Beasley, Hernangomez and Craig, a former two-way player, to fight for the final minutes. Malone said their playing time could be dictated by matchups or need.
“Do we need defense? Do we need shooting? Do we need energy? And those guys will have to be ready. Nothing is promised, nothing is given,” Malone said. “We’re going to try and use our depth to wear teams down.”
Last season’s second unit was slightly below average in terms of its offensive and defensive rating, but roster turnover created ample opportunities for guys like Morris and Lyles to make a bigger impact. If the Nuggets are to realize their potential, they’ll need the reserves to grow into their new roles.
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