With the Denver Nuggets offseason in full effect, the front office has now set out to dissect the upcoming NBA Draft and the vast amount of players that are set to hit the market as free agents this year.
And as the Nuggets go, so do all of us here at Mile High Sports.
So over the next month we will be going position-by-position and breaking down the top five draft choices and potential free agents and their fit in Denver.
So we start at the top, with the point guard position. With the Nuggets selecting Emmanuel Mudiay with the seventh pick in the NBA Draft last year and starting him 66 of 68 games, it’s pretty clear that he’s the long-term option at the one. What the Nuggets desperately need is a backup who can play with or without Mudiay on the floor, as well as someone who can provide a reliable three-point shot.
Three point shooting is desperately needed for a team who finished 26th in percentage of made three-point shots at 33.8%.
With that being said lets dive into the possible free agent signings.
Jeremy Lin, Player Option
Age: 27 years old Size: 6’3, 200 pounds
Career Stats: 11.7 points; 4.4 assists; 2.8 rebounds
Percentages: 43.2% from the field; 34.6% from three-point; 80.3% from the free throw line
Jeremy Lin is an energy player that could be a perfect pairing next to Barton and Chandler. Lin provides penetration that results in plenty of kick outs and is a veteran presence who can run the pick and roll with Jusuf Nurkic. He is also a Harvard graduate and has dealt with more media then I could comprehend.
Those types of intangibles are what you want for a young, talented point guard in Emmanuel Mudiay to absorb. He could be a very nice mentor next to Mudiay while running the bench unit.
He does have issues defensively but has always managed to be a pest on that side of the ball. He could end up being a player that Michael Malone can mold defensively to take his game to the next level.
Getting him away from the Hornets could prove difficult, though.
“If you asked me would I be interested in coming back, there’s no question in my mind — it’s a resounding yes,” Lin said, via USA Today. “I would be very interested in coming back.”
While he does fit what the Nuggets are trying to accomplish, it might take paying him quite a bit of money to get him into a Nuggets uniform.
Matthew Dellavedova, Restricted Free Agent
Born: 25 years old Size: 6’4, 198 pounds
Career Stats: 5.7 points; 3.4 assists; 1.9 rebounds.
Percentages: 39.5% from the field: 39.8% from three-point; 81.6 % from the free throw line
Dellavedova is a player that I think would fit extremely well with the Denver Nuggets. He carries the veteran calmness with him and is a team player first and foremost. He does well running an offense and plays smart basketball in the pick and roll. Add his gritty defensive attitude and you have yourself a tailor-made, Michael Malone player.
Shooting almost 40 percent from three would be a sizable contribution to the Nuggets as well. Their struggles beyond the three-point line have been well documented. Bringing in a player who shoots a high percentage from behind the arc could go a long way towards spacing out Denver’s offense.
It is going to be hard to rip Dellavedova away from the grips of LeBron James, but with the TV money pouring into the cap, the Nuggets may be able to find a way to steal him.
Brandon Jennings, Unrestricted Free Agent
Born: 26 years old Size: 6’1, 169 pounds
Career Stats: 15.5 points; 5.9 assists; 3.1 rebounds
Percentages: 39% from the field; 35% from three-points 79.9% from the free throw line
Brandon Jennings is the most interesting option. While he is the best volume scorer of the bunch, he is also the least efficient. Playing him next to Will Barton off of the bench creates defensive liabilities and a potential shot-selection issue. He does space the floor and can create off the dribble, but is he just a chucker that will take away shots from all of the young talent the Nuggets have already acquired?
Overall, it could work with Jennings. He was used off the bench for the first time this year, only starting seven of the 48 games he played in this season. He could space the floor next to Mudiay and is more than capable of running the second unit. Is he too erratic? Will the defensive liability in the bench unit be too much to take the gamble? Those are the big questions Tim Connelly will have to answer.
Jerryd Bayless, Unrestricted Free Agent
Born: 27 years old Size: 6’3, 200 pounds
Career Stats: 8.5 points; 2.9 assists; 2.1 rebounds
Percentages: 41.5% from the field; 36.5% from three-point; 80.3% from the free throw line
Bayless has been a journeyman most of his career. Six teams in 10 seasons is a lot of change, but he’s always been a solid backup point guard. Bayless brings three-point shooting and a veteran leadership with him.
This past season, Bayless made 43.7 percent of his three-point shots, a career high, on 4.4 attempts per game, also career high. If he can bring his energy, intensity and shooting touch to the Mile High City, it could add a much-needed addition to the Nuggets offense.
Bayless can play alongside Mudiay, as well as initiate the offense on the second unit. He plays hard on defense, but isn’t quite a plus defender. He would help the Nuggets immediately with his shooting and would fit well with the roster as currently constructed.
Langston Galloway, Restricted Free Agent
Born: 24 years old Size: 6’2, 200 pounds
Career Stats: 9.1 points; 2.8 assists; 3.8 rebounds
Percentages: 39.6% from the field; 34.8% from three-point; 77.6% from the free throw line
The fact that Langston Galloway is the next best selection for the Nuggets shows how weak the pool of point guards is in this free agency class.
Galloway is a streaky scorer, who can go on 15-point tears or give you almost nothing in terms of offense. He struggles to guard taller and quicker guards but does play hard.
He doesn’t fit well with this Nuggets team and should be looked at as a last resort third point guard, as opposed to a legitimate backup. In this day in the NBA, especially in the Western Conference, you need a starting caliber back up point guard to contend. I do not see Langston Galloway ever becoming that player.