This past year saw me revitalized as a Nuggets fan. Like most of you, watching Jokic transform into a star overnight was intoxicating for me. The next steps seem to me to be obvious. The young guys need to get floor time and the organization needs to get the most talented guys they can in the door as free agents. Denver has decided it's time to win and I believe they will put their efforts into winning even if it costs the young guys some experience. The point will be to win games, which means the front office needs to limit the choices the coaching staff can make regarding playing the veterans. In other words, put young guys who can play on the team and let's see what we got. In that light we need to see who can play and who can't. We also need to put guys on the floor who fit the vision of what the Nuggets are becoming and fit the best way to play in this league. Here are the rules the Nuggets need to operate by when looking to team build.
1. The Andre Roberson rule. If they can't shoot, don't pick them up. This means three pointers as well as free throws. Guys who can guard James Harden are rare but if they are a liability on the offensive end you’re still not gonna win.
2. The Harden, Butler rule. Multi-positional is important. Guys who can slide between two positions are great. This allows for greater flexibility in the draft and in trades. Also should injuries become a factor during the year hopefully this flexibility allows the team to stay above water.
3. The Utah Jazz rule. You can have too many intriguing young players. The Jazz still aren’t sure exactly what they have in these guys. By the time they figure it out some of them are going to be gone in free agency.
4. The D’Antoni/Warriors rule. Three’s and dunks are the best shots in the game and they are easiest to get in transition. Athletic shooters will be at a premium. Juancho and Murray are tailor made for where the league is heading. All acquisitions need to be with that in mind. Players who don’t push the pace or have sticky fingers are a death knell to a space and pace team. Or we could call this the Anti-Carmelo rule.
5. The LeBron/Durant/Kawhi rule. You need someone to combat these guys. What this rule is really about is how defense has changed. Wings and guards need to be able to help and recover at higher rates than ever before. They need to be hyper alert on defense, knowledgable of various defensive schemes and always aware of who is where on the opposing team. The king of this rule is Draymond Green. Keeps his own guy corralled, helps when necessary, can handle switches and generally disrupts or stalls every action he’s part of.
6. The If You Take a Long Two You’re Getting Traded Rule. The League is moving towards threes and we don’t want guys who shoot long two’s. Yes Chandler, we are talking to you. And you Gallo, Butler, Westbrook, Griffin and Wade. The league has moved on from long two’s but some players still don’t realize it. The only reason to shoot a long two is if there is less than four seconds left on the shot clock. Harden was a potential MVP because he never shot long two’s unless there wasn’t another choice. He focused on threes and free throws. If Westbrook had the same discipline as Harden did his team would have won more games and they might have won the first round as well. Gallo and Chandler specifically haven’t realized the league has changed. They either need to change immediately or get traded. Their value is directly commensurate with their ability to adapt.
7. The Area of Need Rule. No good example but it seems self-evident. For the Nuggets I believe this means small forward. I personally want Chandler gone. He shot too many long twos and held the ball too much. He pounded the ball too long and had sticky fingers which resulted in him shooting towards the end of the shot clock. He was one of the few who never bought into the unselfish style the team adhered to late in the season. The Nuggets also need defense, badly. If that defender brought some toughness and attitude so much the better.
8. The Jokic rule. Jokic is sensational, unique, a Serbian superman with a metaphysical offensive mind that manifests during games. He understands space and defends better than he should considering his athletic liabilities. However, he is still below average defensively for centers in this league. This means that should the Nuggets want to be a top ten defensive team they would need to get savy, long, handsy players that help and react well. This rule also means that incoming players understand that this is Jokic’s team and their role is to compliment Jokic.
9. The Memphis Grizzlies Rule. If you’ve only got two or three guys on the floor who can shoot you are not going to win. I don’t care how tough and physical you are or how well you execute. Shooters are a must in today’s NBA.
So, without further ado, here is the list. These are all acquisition targets. This means we should be able to acquire them somehow either through trade or free agency. For obvious reasons LeBron is not on this list. Some of these players could only be acquired by trade but it should be possible.
1. Gordon Hayward. It seems self-evident that we should throw the max at him. Probably won’t come to Denver but we should try our best. Best free agent out there who might move should he decide to pass up the 16.7mil owed him by the Jazz next year and test free agency. Otto Porter is 1A. Same thing with the max.
2. Robert Covington. This might come as a surprise for some but he’s next best small forward who is gettable. He’s averaging 2 steals and a block per game with 33% shooting from three. In other words he’s Draymond light. It is my opinion that he’d hit some more three’s on a team where he’s open a bit more. It seemed of his 6 three’s that he shot every game in Philly, almost three were contested. Someone had to shoot in that offense and at least he was shooting threes. His defensive RPM of 4.3 is elite for SF’s but probably something of an outlier. It does rank him as the third best defender in the league and seriously, how good do you have to be to get that ranking while playing on the Sixers! He’s 26 with a solid five years of good basketball ahead of him.
The Trade Machine tells us that Chandler/Jameer works for Jarryd Bayless/Covington. If necessary we can throw Beasley into the trade and it still works. Philly could really use a veteran presence like Chandler to create offense and get some buckets when they need it. Next year Philly will be hunting wins to let their fans know the process has progressed. Jameer and Chandler will help them do that, especially with TJ, Saric, Embiid, Simmons, Stauskas and whoever their new draft pick is on the floor.
Covington is multi-positional. Extremely court aware. Gets his hands on more passes and shots than any other small forward. He averages 4+ deflections per game. He has quickness and timing. He’s 6’8 with a 7’2 wingspan allowing him to disrupt the entire floor. He’s smart and should be able to pick up the Nuggets slash and three’s offense fairly quickly.
http://www.libertyballers.com/2017/4/27/15446222/sixers-tinder-robert-covington-contract-extension-all-nba-defense-ben-simmons-joel-embiid.
3. Joe Ingles is the polar opposite of Robert Covington. Very little defensive ability but lots of smart, shifty, careful offense. He’s a Jokic light who can pass, shoot and play well within a system. A non-athletic Ginobili. He’s not a good defender but would still be an improvement over Chandler in my opinion. Ingles would accept his position as the guy who shoots when open but otherwise is looking to feed the young guys within the flow of the offense.
This offseason is very important to balancing the future of the Nuggets. Hopefully the Nuggets can nail some acquisitions.
