Over the last week, the two teams that occupy the Pepsi Center have been injected with life – a long-awaited change for Nuggets and Avs fans.
The Colorado Avalanche are on a three-game winning streak. Matt Duchene might be the hottest forward in the league, and Semyon Varlamov has regained the form that made him a Vezina Trophy finalist two seasons ago.
Michael Malone’s Nuggets are also on a three game winning streak, which included an exciting 114-108 win over the Houston Rockets. Denver did this without star rookie Emmanuel Mudiay, who has only played a total of 12 minutes in the last three games after spraining his ankle.
Not only did the Nuggets match their longest winning streak of the season, they are also playing their best basketball of the season. With Mudiay stuck on the bench nursing his ankle, Jameer Nelson has led a balanced, up-tempo attack. Something Number 0 has failed to do consistently all season.
With the Nuggets playing better without Mudiay there is a growing concern that he is doing more harm than good when on the floor. Would the Nuggets be better to turn the reins over to Nelson this season?
There is no denying that the offense has struggled under Mudiay. There have been very few times this season he has led a consistently balanced attack. And, Mudiay’s propensity to turn over the basketball has also choked the offense at times. That said, Mudiay is the future of Denver Nuggets and the success or failure of this franchise sits on his shoulders.
Sure, the Nuggets have a better opportunity to win between 35 and 40 games with Nelson and Randy Foye running the backcourt, but what’s the point? That doesn’t make Denver a playoff team. And what is Mudiay going to learn on the bench?
Mudiay has shown flashes of brilliance this season. He has taken over games offensively and shut down some of the best point guards in the league defensively. Mudiay’s raw talent is undeniable, but as a 19-year-old rookie he has much to learn on the floor. This needs to be the learning curve season.
It’s true that superstars aren’t born overnight; Mudiay’s development is going to be a process. There is an acceptable process and an unacceptable process. Washington didn’t develop John Wall on the bench in year one, quite the contrary. Wall averaged 37 minutes a game as he learned how to run an NBA offense. Mudiay needs to do the same. He is only going to learn when to attack and when not to attack, when to pass and when not to by being on the floor. Mudiay needs to develop not only his feel for NBA games but also a feel for his teammates. That isn’t going to happen if Nelson is in charge.
The experience that Mudiay is missing extends beyond the game on the floor. He must learn to deal with the rigors of playing in the NBA.
An NBA season is a marathon, not a sprint. Mudiay needs to prepare his body to play 32 minutes a game for an 82 game season. He needs to understand how to take care of his body as the season drags on and on and on. He needs to go through this to know how to deal with it. The last thing Denver needs next season is Mudiay’s body breaking down because Malone and company treated him with kid gloves this season.
The flaws in Mudiay’s game were expected. He is extremely young – there are only six younger players in the NBA – and his talent is raw, but that doesn’t mean pulling back on his development 25 games into his first season.
The rumors are true; with Mudiay sidelined the Nuggets have looked much more cohesive on offense. That can be directly attributed to Nelson.
It’s also true that Nelson probably gives the Nuggets the best chance to win nightly. The questions is win what? Is it 35 games? Maybe. Can they win 40 games with Nelson at the helm? Probably not, so what’s the point? The Nuggets aren’t trying to build towards the playoffs this year; they are building towards making the playoffs every year.
Jameer Nelson is the best option for the team, but Emmanuel Mudiay in the best option for the franchise. The Nuggets need to ride or die with their 19-year-old rookie all season, despite their recent success without him.
