Denver Post sports writer Mike Singer posts his Nuggets Mailbag every other week on Friday during the season.
Pose a Nuggets — or NBA — related question for the Nuggets Mailbag.
If Gary Harris’ shooting struggles linger into late March, is there any chance he will lose his spot in the Nuggets’ starting lineup? Perhaps Michael Porter Jr. could take his place, with Will Barton slotting in at the two?
— Matt, East Colfax
Unless Gary Harris stops doing what he’s “expected” to do, (ahem, defend opponents’ best wing), I don’t see Malone yanking him from the starting lineup. Barton got benched last postseason when his scoring and confidence plummeted. If Harris is the fifth option and still knocking down the occasional 3-pointer or attacking the hoop with a scorer’s mindset, I’m not sure how much he hurts in the aggregate. I think Malone would lean toward starting Torrey Craig a lot faster than he would toward starting MPJ. I can’t reiterate this enough: to play, Malone has to trust you on defense.
Of all the potential first-round opponents (OKC, Dallas, Utah, Houston) for the Nuggets, who do you think they would prefer to see the most?
— Donovan, Westminster
Honestly, I don’t think any of those teams scare them. Houston isn’t as daunting without Clint Capela, and I’d be very curious how they’d plan to stop Jokic with their small-ball lineups.
I think they’ve got a mental edge over Utah, who they beat on the road with just seven players on the second night of a back-to-back. Despite their offseason additions, the Jazz aren’t well-equipped to stop the Nuggets any longer.
They should have an advantage over Dallas in what would be Luka Doncic’s first playoff series. The injury to Dwight Powell isn’t insignificant as it hampers their frontcourt depth against perhaps the deepest frontcourt in the NBA.
So I’ll flip the question. I think plucky Oklahoma City might give them fits. I wouldn’t want to see a motivated Chris Paul in the postseason. Facing a team with no pressure and little to lose is a dangerous formula.
On the whole, Coach Malone has done a splendid job. However, there are two areas that I do not understand his approach. First, he seems to be the first Denver coach that I recall in 50 years of watching Denver Nuggets and Denver Rocket games who refuses to use the advantage of playing at altitude. What I see is a team that has been told not to push the ball unless there is a 2-on-1 opportunity. Does he believe that it cheapens the game to use Denver’s elevation? Second, he does not work the refs. This was painfully clear during the loss to the Lakers. LeBron was actively working the refs the entire game while Malone just sat there. Given the tendency of Jokic to get too emotional, this is something Malone has to do. Jokic is an established star who doesn’t get calls that rookies (Zion Williamson) and second year players (Luka Doncic) get.
— Shawn Thompson, Denver
It was only three seasons ago (‘16-17) that the Nuggets finished with the sixth-fastest pace in the NBA. Since then, it’s been a slow descent toward the bottom of the league. The most obvious reason? Look at their personnel. As good of shape as Nikola Jokic is now in, he’s not winning many wind sprints. Whether snatching the ball off the defensive glass or initiating the offense as a point-center, Jokic doesn’t do many things “fast”. They’ve also been a below-average defensive rebounding team (19th), which has undermined their speed.
As to the contention Malone doesn’t work the refs, that’s just not true. In Phoenix, Oklahoma City and Memphis, the media seating is essentially between the bench and midcourt. Some of the things I’ve heard come out of Malone’s mouth can’t be printed. I do agree, however, that Jokic has to fight an uphill battle with the whistle as a result of his unconventional post game.
What do you think the bar is for this to be considered a successful season for the Nuggets? Is it just making it back to the second round? Or do they need to advance to the Western Conference finals?
— Scott, Castle Pines
I think it entirely depends on their matchup. Unequivocally, a first-round loss would be a massive disappointment. If the Nuggets got to the conference finals, one step further than last season, that’s a huge win. It’s what happens in the conference semifinals that could get murky.
The two LA teams have been looming all season as potential championship contenders. If the Nuggets caught one of them in the second round, which looks increasingly likely, I’d need to see how they handled themselves against proven playoff winners like LeBron James or Kawhi Leonard. If the series were to go six or seven games, inherently a competitive series, I’d give the Nuggets a ton of credit for raising their level of play against an elite team. If the Nuggets looked overmatched, it would highlight how much further they have to go before they can realize any of that championship talk.
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Nuggets Mailbag: Could Gary Harris lose his starting spot if shooting struggles continue? - The Denver Post
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