Written by Jonathan Peter on Dec. 1, 2022.
After playing 21 games, the Denver Nuggets have a 14-7 record, good enough for second place in the Western Conference.
I believe there are multiple ways to view Denver’s beginning to the new season. The Nuggets early-season success was somewhat expected, given their favorable schedule against easier opponents. According to ESPN’s RPI rankings, the Nuggets have currently had the second easiest strength of schedule.
To be fair, the Nuggets should have taken advantage of this luxury more than they did. Denver did blow some easy games to inferior teams and those losses could have implications for seeding and home-court advantage. The remainder of Denver’s season entails a much more difficult slate of opponents.
The injury bug has hit Denver hard so far this season. No major injuries have occurred, but there have still been enough small issues to wreck havoc on the team’s goals. Currently, Michael Porter Jr. has missed the last four games due to a heel injury. Prior to that, Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon missed multiple games due to illness. Factor in other injuries to rotation players like Bones Hyland, Jeff Green, Ish Smith, and Zeke Nnaji, Denver hasn’t been in the greatest position to succeed. Despite the lack of players, the Nuggets find themselves in a good spot because of their impressive depth.
The Nuggets’ depth has been the most important element to their success this season. Denver has the perfect pieces because many of the rotation players realize when it is their time to step-up by contributing more than usual because key players might be missing. No player has exemplified this more than Bruce Brown.
Brown has been the glue which has held the Nuggets together. As a player who comes of the bench generally, Brown has found himself in the starting lineup on many occasions already. He has filled in for the starters at both guard and forward spots. He knows what to do in any situation which he has been placed into and has been the perfect fit for this roster.
For a more recent example, look no further than Vlatko Cancar. Cancar has been a staple as a Nuggets’ benchwarmer for a few years now. But this season, Cancar is getting playing time and is proving he can bring stability to the Nuggets bench. He provides a Jokic-esque quality for the bench unit. He’s a dependable option who knows what to do when he gets the ball. If he plays off-ball, Cancar is just as comfortable playing within the flow of the offense, but cutting to the hoop or setting solid screens.
Cancar is similar to Brown because of his ability to play in for multiple roles. He has gotten playing time because of current injuries to forwards Jeff Green and MPJ but is also comfortable playing the center spot as well. It’s only been four games where Cancar has been truly in the rotation, but Coach Malone should continue to ride with him. Honestly, the bench has never looked more cohesive and it will be important to see whether they continue to play well against stronger competition.
Depth is a crucial component to making a deep playoff run. All of the Nuggets have shown flashes of brilliance, but it is a matter of continuing to replicate it consistently. That will be a thing to keep an eye on throughout the rest of the season.
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