Team Name
Denver Nuggets
Division
Northwest Division
Last Season
36-46 (4th in division)
Roster additions / losses
Additions
Arron Afflalo rejoins his old team after a stint in Orlando with the Magic, and he will immediately become the best shooting guard for the Denver Nuggets. Afflalo is coming off of his best season yet, and the trend is still upwards for the 29 year old. He averaged a career best 18.2 ppg, and his scoring total has increased every year since he was drafted in 2007. He was arguably the best player on the Magic last season, and Denver will be happy to have him and his shooting ability back in the fold.
A bevy of rookies join the Nuggets this season, adding to the already young squad from last year. Erick Green, Gary Harris, and Jusuf Nurkic hope to make an impact this season and going forward. Harris starred at Michigan State last season, and Nurkic comes over from Europe to slide in at the backup center spot. While their contributions and playing time remain to be seen, this trio could play a pivotal role in the Nuggets success this year.
Losses
Evan Fournier was once expected to be an excellent hybrid point/shooting guard for the Nuggets. However, he did not perform as well as they expected and was traded to Orlando to bring back Afflalo. His minutes increased last season but the Nuggets are prepared to replace him with Nate Robinson returning and Afflalo and Randy Foye cementing the shooting guard position.
Aaron Brooks was traded to Denver midseason, just before the trade deadline. He performed well, but it was not expected that he would stick around after the season ended. He heads for Chicago, and will be replaced by Robinson and Erick Green at the backup point guard spot.
Key Success Factors
1. Stay healthy: Last season quickly became a train wreck for the Nuggets, as several key players missed significant action. Danilo Gallinari, Nate Robinson, JaVale McGee all missed most of the year, if not all, and even Ty Lawson missed several games with various injuries. With so many key pieces out, it is easy to see how this team performed so poorly last year. So far, Lawson has had a hamstring issue this preseason, but the Nuggets hope that won’t be serious. They will have to monitor McGee, Gallinari, and Robinson on their respective returns, and that is why they brought in other young players to eat up some minutes while this trio gets healthy again.
2. Unleash the Manimal: Kenneth Faried is coming off of an excellent summer, in which he helped lead Team USA to a World Cup gold medal. He was named to the All-Tournament team and the Nuggets must capitalize on this momentum. He had an excellent second half of last year, averaging 18 points and 10 rebounds per game, and he is poised for a breakout. The best part of his game is that the offense does not need to run through him, and he can do a lot of damage on the offensive and defensive glass. Faried is a beast, and the Nuggets need to utilize him to his fullest potential to ensure success.
3. Play better defense: Last season, the Nuggets ranked 28th out of 30 teams in points allowed per game. Quite frankly, the defense stunk. The injuries to McGee, a shot blocker, and Gallinari, a versatile defender, didn’t help. However, the root of their problems was a high field goal percentage allowed at 45.7%. If the Nuggets can improve their defensive performance, their overall play will improve.
Fantasy Impact
Studs
Kenneth Faried: Faried may be considered to be more of a sleeper, but if he keeps up his quality of play from last year and this summer he will be a star. He offers a well-rounded game, pitching in points, rebounds, steals and blocks. The coup de grace, however, is that he does this while still shooting a very high percentage. He only played about 27 or 28 minutes per game last year, and that number should jump as the Nuggets rely on him more this year. There is no reason Faried can’t put up top 5 power forward numbers in 2014-2015.
Ty Lawson: Lawson is the key that makes the offense run. Denver was 7-13 in games he did not play in last year, and his ability to use blazing speed and superior ball-handling makes him a nightmare to cover, even if he is among the smallest players in the NBA. Coming off of a career best year averaging 17.6 ppg and 8.8 apg, Lawson could actually improve on those numbers with a stronger supporting cast around him.
Duds
Timofey Mozgov: Mozgov is a solid player, but he might find himself fighting for minutes this season. McGee is returning from injury, and Nurkic could be the heir apparent at the center position. Even with regular minutes, Mozgov does not offer double digit points or rebounds, and should not be taken until late in drafts if at all.
Sleeper
Danilo Gallinari: This is an interesting situation, as Gallinari has actually missed almost two full years of action with knee injuries. If he really is healthy, then there is no reason he cannot put up big scoring numbers like he has in the past. If he is not fully healthy, then this could be a bust rather than a sleeper pick. Proceed with caution, but you could reap the rewards if you take this risk.
2014 Season Predictions
MVP – Kenneth Faried
LVP – JaVale McGee
Finish – 11th seed in the West, miss playoffs
The Nuggets are on the cusp of something here, but I do not think this team has what it takes to make the playoffs quite yet. Faried and Lawson should carry the team, but overall there is a serious lack of firepower and depth for the Nuggets to make a real run. They will improve from last year, but in a stacked conference it is hard to envision them making the playoffs.