The Nuggets have still not started their season and are only really holding on thanks to the enormous performances of Nikola Jokic, which sometimes are not enough since the Denver bench is problematic. It has been weakened over the years with the departures of Jeff Green, Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
The latter was thus the holder but his departure last summer forced Michael Malone to put Christian Braun in the major five, and therefore to take him off the bench.
The record of 12 wins for 10 losses is clearly disappointing, the three-time MVP says it loud and clear, and according to Mark Steinthe leaders would be “desiring to make things happen” things. Only problem: they are limited financially because the executives (Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon) are irremovable and mobilize a very large part of the payroll.
Then, these are only “small” salaries. The fifth of the franchise is Zeke Nnajiwith its 8.9 million this season and that is why, for our colleague, the Nuggets are ready to part with it.
Except that recruiting an impact player in exchange for Zeke Nnaji who almost never plays (only 5 minutes and 1.2 points on average) and remains under contract until 2028, this promises to be particularly difficult.
Thus, to try to further convince, or even seduce, other franchises, Denver will undoubtedly have to strengthen its offer with Draft choices. This will be the price to pay to hope to improve his bench, even if there is little chance that it will solve the franchise's problems with the wave of a magic wand.
| Shots | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Bp | Int | Ct | Party | Pts |
| Nikola Jokic | 19 | 37.6 | 56.3 | 50.6 | 80.8 | 4.1 | 9.5 | 13.6 | 10.2 | 3.7 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 2.1 | 32.3 |
| Michael Porter, Jr. | 22 | 35.7 | 51.2 | 38.8 | 67.3 | 1.6 | 5.5 | 7.1 | 2.9 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 2.2 | 19.0 |
| Jamal Murray | 17 | 36.0 | 42.0 | 33.3 | 80.3 | 0.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 6.2 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 17.8 |
| Christian Braun | 22 | 35.2 | 57.0 | 43.1 | 77.6 | 1.2 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 15.4 |
| Aaron Gordon | 11 | 29.7 | 52.9 | 47.1 | 78.6 | 1.9 | 4.1 | 6.0 | 3.5 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 1.5 | 14.3 |
| Russell Westbrook | 22 | 24.8 | 39.9 | 35.0 | 63.8 | 0.8 | 3.2 | 4.0 | 6.4 | 2.4 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 2.5 | 11.3 |
| Julian Strawther | 22 | 20.8 | 46.3 | 40.8 | 80.6 | 0.3 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 2.7 | 9.0 |
| Peyton Watson | 22 | 24.9 | 48.3 | 36.0 | 76.7 | 0.9 | 2.4 | 3.3 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 8.9 |
| Dario Saric | 10 | 13.6 | 30.0 | 26.3 | 83.3 | 0.9 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 1.4 | 3.4 |
| Deandre Jordan | 10 | 9.8 | 57.1 | 0.0 | 25.0 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 2.6 |
| Hunter Tyson | 14 | 9.2 | 44.4 | 25.0 | 88.9 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 2.6 |
| Vlatko Cancar | 4 | 8.6 | 57.1 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 2.3 |
| Zeke Nnaji | 15 | 4.9 | 40.9 | 0.0 | 20.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 1.3 |
| Jalen Pickett | 4 | 9.2 | 50.0 | 33.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 1.3 |
| Trey Alexander | 9 | 4.9 | 25.0 | 16.7 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 1.0 |
| Pj Hall | 5 | 2.2 | 40.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.8 |
| Spencer Jones | 2 | 1.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
