Is the bench going to be the STRENGTH of this team ?

[THE J0KER]

If I must name the biggest 2018-19 improvements for the Nuggets, it would be 1.DEFENSE, 2.BENCH!

I have really big expectations from our bench this season, but I never tough it will be this good in circumstances where Isaiah Thomas is still not debuted for the team, and Juancho is temporarily moved to starting lineup because of Barton injury.

Plumlee playing career-best basketball (in per minute metrics), and right from nowhere Morris and Beasley (+Juancho) become an elite backup option, with starter-level per minute production so far this season. Morris, Beasley, and Juancho so far shooting 3pt 90/208 which is about 4x3pt per game with over 43%! Pure gold in a modern-day basketball, and add to that Juancho great 65%TS% and rebounding, Beasley defensive skills and also great 60%TS%, and Morris league-best AST/TO ratio, to see how efficient they are this season. Lyles is the only backup disappointment so far because he drops his percentages from last season, but the 10-5 type of the game for the 20mpg player is better than some of the league teams get from their best bench option.

If we count Barton as a starter, our bench includes I.Thomas, M.Porter, M.Plumlee, T.Lyles, Juancho, M.Morris, M.Beasley. That is a better team than Atlanta Hawks are right now, and we have on the bench something like 5+ players which each would be 4th or at least 5th best player of some playoff contenders like San Antonio, Portland, Detroit, Orlando...!!!

But that is at the same time the biggest *problem* with our bench. We have too many good players, and when all starters are healthy, backup players minutes will be reduced badly, because of our starting lineup are stacked with quality. Maybe the solution is to trade all together Barton, IT, and Lyles (after January 15 when Barton is available for a deal) for one single elite forward. For example, we can add Plumlee and 2021 1st to that package and offer it to San Antonio for DeRozan, a team which desperately needs depths and assets. Or to send such offer (without Plumlee) to Miami for Josh Richardson.

[NuggetsWY]

If I must name the biggest 2018-19 improvements for the Nuggets, it would be 1.DEFENSE, 2.BENCH!

Spoiler:

I have really big expectations from our bench this season, but I never tough it will be this good in circumstances where Isaiah Thomas is still not debuted for the team, and Juancho is temporarily moved to starting lineup because of Barton injury.

Plumlee playing career-best basketball (in per minute metrics), and right from nowhere Morris and Beasley (+Juancho) become an elite backup option, with starter-level per minute production so far this season. Morris, Beasley, and Juancho so far shooting 3pt 90/208 which is about 4x3pt per game with over 43%! Pure gold in a modern-day basketball, and add to that Juancho great 65%TS% and rebounding, Beasley defensive skills and also great 60%TS%, and Morris league-best AST/TO ratio, to see how efficient they are this season. Lyles is the only backup disappointment so far because he drops his percentages from last season, but the 10-5 type of the game for the 20mpg player is better than some of the league teams get from their best bench option.

If we count Barton as a starter, our bench includes I.Thomas, M.Porter, M.Plumlee, T.Lyles, Juancho, M.Morris, M.Beasley. That is a better team than Atlanta Hawks are right now, and we have on the bench something like 5+ players which each would be 4th or at least 5th best player of some playoff contenders like San Antonio, Portland, Detroit, Orlando...!!!

But that is at the same time the biggest *problem* with our bench. We have too many good players, and when all starters are healthy, backup players minutes will be reduced badly, because of our starting lineup are stacked with quality. Maybe the solution is to trade all together Barton, IT, and Lyles (after January 15 when Barton is available for a deal) for one single elite forward. For example, we can add Plumlee and 2021 1st to that package and offer it to San Antonio for DeRozan, a team which desperately needs depths and assets. Or to send such offer (without Plumlee) to Miami for Josh Richardson.

Defense & Bench - I'll agree those are a big difference this year.

I'll give credit on the defense to a clearly new approach and the exciting thing for me is that our team isn't even consistently applying the principles that the system seems to be based on. The starters seem to apply the new system inconsistently and some of the bench players aren't quite as good and yet the team defense is fantastically better. As they continue this defense and become more consistent ... WOW!

As for the bench, there is no way to prove I am correct but it is my firm belief that Malone has relied on his starters too much in the past (and one or two bench players). This year he is using his bench much more and I'll give Malone credit for managing the bench quite well. He once said he wouldn't play match-up games with opponents' lineups. Well, he is doing that somewhat this year and effectively. Consider how he plays Beasley & Craig at SG (along with Murray). Consider how he plays Craig & Hernangomez at SF.

So it'll be fun to see what he does with Barton & Thomas coming back to the lineup and maybe even around the same time frame. No doubt Morris & Beasley will lose PT and I hate that, but it makes sense. No doubt Hernangomez and/or Craig will lose PT, but as much as I've loved Hernangomez's contributions this year (and I'll credit Craig with good contributions as well), Barton's play this year has been excellent for the team (perhaps because he no longer plays PG).

[NuggetsWY]

It seems our bench will have to be the strength of the team; we only have two starters left. The really crazy thing is, I really believe we can continue winning.

[NuggetsWY]

Injured:
Millsap - Barton - Harris - Thomas - Porter - Vanderbilt

Available:
Jokic - Plumlee
Lyles - Lydon
Hernangomez
Craig - Beasley
Murray - Morris - Goodwin

G-League:
Welsh
Akoon-Purcell

Looks like we'll see a lot of three-guard lineups.

[psimanic1]

Injured:
Millsap - Barton - Harris - Thomas - Porter - Vanderbilt

Available:
Jokic - Plumlee
Lyles - Lydon
Hernangomez
Craig - Beasley
Murray - Morris - Goodwin

G-League:
Welsh
Akoon-Purcell

Looks like we'll see a lot of three-guard lineups.

If we don't lose few more guards

[skywalker33]

Has Welsh been recalled ??

[THE J0KER]

Has Welsh been recalled ??

He can play only as the center, and with Jokic and Plumlee healthy both, it is 100% covered.

BTW, for those who love black humor, I have some great news about Nuggets bench! Trey Lyles FG% is 13-52 (25%) in past 6 games (including 4-24 in last two b2b losses), but after Millsap injury that will not be a problem anymore for our bench in the next couple weeks, because Lyles is moved to the starting lineup now

[NuggetsWY]

Has Welsh been recalled ??

Yes

He can play only as the center, and with Jokic and Plumlee healthy both, it is 100% covered.

True but without a doubt we will see Jokic with Plumlee while Millsap is out so Welsh just might get a few minutes.

BTW, for those who love black humor, I have some great news about Nuggets bench! Trey Lyles FG% is 13-52 (25%) in past 6 games (including 4-24 in last two b2b losses), but after Millsap injury that will not be a problem anymore for our bench in the next couple weeks, because Lyles is moved to the starting lineup now

Now that's funny! I still like our bench; especially Plumlee, Lyles, Hernangomez, Beasley, Morris. That's a decent five man rotation - just not NBA starters, at least mostly not and/or not yet.

[NuggetsWY]

Article from The Ringer:

"Denver’s all-bench lineup of Monte Morris, Malik Beasley, Juan Hernangomez, Trey Lyles, and Mason Plumlee has the best defensive rating (77.8) of any lineup in the league that has played at least 50 minutes together."

[NuggetsWY]

With three starters out - we don't have much of a bench but the bench is still producing and still filling in for the injured starters. The bench has proven to be a strength. The Nuggets are not winning because of individual play, but because of team play and that includes Jokic & Murray. They are all about team and team is why the Nuggets are doing so well this year. Clearly Jokic sets the standard in not looking at his stats. I'm loving this year!