Denver Nuggets: Grading Players’ Performance

The Denver Nuggets’ JaVale McGee has had ups and downs this season. Photo Credit: PaGuy1955, Flickr.com

The Denver Nuggets are on the verge of breaking the team record for wins this season. At the beginning of the season, there were several different expectations for the young team.

John Hollinger, formerly of ESPN.com, predicted they could win the Western Conference this season. Tim Legler, who is an analyst on ESPN, felt they would finish second in the conference. Others saw the team as low as sixth or seventh.

Now the Denver Nuggets are in a dogfight with the Clippers and Grizzlies for the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. Denver is also battling injuries. Danilo Gallinari is out for the season and Ty Lawson is trying to come back from a heel injury. Even with those two out, the Nuggets keep winning.

The Denver Nuggets’ depth has been the key to their success with nine players contributing on a regular basis. Without the strong bench, the Nuggets would not be nearly as good.

Note: Players had to average more than 15 minutes a game on the season.

Ty Lawson Grade: A

The speedy point guard is on his way to becoming a superstar. He leads the Denver Nuggets in points (16.7) and assists (6.9). He leads this team when he is on the floor. Without him Denver doesn’t nearly play as fast and sometimes can struggle on the offense end.

His injury is concerning. He has only played once since injuring his heel against the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 19. The Denver Nuggets are 6-1 in those games but never look the same without him on the court.

Lawson was drafted by Denver when they had leaders like Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony. This season the Nuggets have become his team.

Danilo Gallinari Grade: B+

Danilo Gallinari was starting to show this season why the Denver Nuggets gave him a big contract last season. His 37 percent from beyond the arc is third-best on the team and he is second in scoring at 16.2. He is the cornerstone, along with Lawson, for the Nuggets. He has driven to the basket more drawing more fouls and it also the team’s second best free throw shooter.

His season was derailed by a torn ACL on April 4. His one downfall since coming to the Nuggets has been missing time with injury. All three seasons he has missed significant time and this year could be the must crushing.

Andre Iguodala Grade: C+

Andre Iguodala has been up and down all season. He plays unbelievable defense during most games while he is matched up with one of the opponents’ best players. But on the offensive end he has struggled, especially in the scoring department.

Iguodala has picked up a lot of the point guard duties with Lawson being out with injury. Nuggets broadcaster Scott Hastings says “he needs to be less unselfish” with Gallinari going down for the rest of the season. The guard is averaging 12.6 points a game.

Many experts feel the Nuggets won the blockbuster trade last summer that involved Dwight Howard going to the Los Angeles Lakers. Some expected more from Iguodala while some expected less. Either way his performance with the Nuggets has been just a bit above average.

Corey Brewer Grade: B

The former Florida Gator is a sparkplug off the bench. He has won games for the Nuggets this season. He is coming into his own after being drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2007.

Brewer has become the perfect guy off the bench for coach George Karl. He can create instant offense when he is on the floor and loves to run out on the break. His 3-point shooting is improving and he pots up in the corners well.

His one downfall is he tries for steals a lot on the defensive end. He is a gambler and sometimes it can bite him. He is long and athletic and can cause trouble on defense but his gambles are too much at times.

Wilson Chandler Grade: C

Wilson Chandler’s grade may be higher by the time the playoffs get going. Chandler will fill in for Gallinari and will be the starting small forward on most nights.

Chandler missed a lot time due to injury again this season. He has played only 38 games while averaging 12.1 points a game. His scoring can be inconsistent with some nights showing he can score 30 and others where he seems invisible. He has put up double figures in four of the past five games.

He is going to be valuable in the playoffs and his play needs to show that he is worthy of being a starter.

Kenneth Faried Grade: B-

The second-year forward has shown a lot of progress this season. He is the team leader in rebounding with 9.3 a game and averages more than 11 points a game. He also has 30 double-doubles on the season.

Where he struggles is on the defensive end and the free-throw line. Opponents have began to take advantage of him on defense, especially in pick-and-roll situations. He is not on the floor a lot during late in games because of his poor free-throw shooting.

Faried will continue to grow as a player and is another important part of the Nuggets future. His defense at the power forward position has to get better if he is going to ever be considered an All-Star player.

Andre Miller Grade: B

The steady veteran is starting  right now, but usually is the first guy off the bench for Karl. The coach trusts him and feels a lot better when he is out on the floor.

Miller has had some struggles with his role this year. Earlier in the season he was not happy with his minutes and also forced a shot up against the Boston Celtics that ended up costing the Nuggets the game.

But he is now the leader on the floor and has taken to the role nicely. In the seven games without Lawson, he has scored double figures in six of them. He is playing a lot of minutes right now and the team hopes to have them down with the return of Lawson.

JaVale McGee Grade: C-

The always entertaining center is still a mystery. While signing a big contract in the offseason, he still plays less than 20 minutes a game. He plays well with Miller when they both come off the bench. He has a flair for the amazing as well as the stupid.

McGee averages just less than 10 points a game and is third in dunks in the league with 169. His rebounding continues to be a problem as he averages just less than five.

Karl needs to trust him and that will only come with playing time. The more McGee shows he can contribute the more he may play.

Kosta Koufos Grade: B

The surprise starting center for the Nuggets seems to bring it every night. He is in the game to rebound and get easy baskets and that is what he does. He works well with Lawson and Miller when they drive to the basket and draw in defenders.

Koufos is also tough on defense. He is a threat to block shots and comes down with his fair share of rebounds. His strong play has kept Timofey Mozgov on the bench most of the season.