Denver Nuggets: Options for the starting point guard in 2017-18

The Denver Nuggets will carry three, sometimes four point guards on their roster this year. Who will be the starter on opening night?

The Denver Nuggets entered the 2017 NBA Draft with a clear position of need and multiple logjams on their roster. The possible departure of Danilo Gallinari left the team with few options on the wing. Naturally, that’s where many expected them to draft. The team already had three point guards and a small army of power forwards on the roster. That’s what made Denver’s selections so intriguing.

The Nuggets had three picks that night, and thanks to the Utah trade they came away with two power forwards and one point guard. The guard was Monte Morris, the four-year senior out of Iowa State. Morris is a traditional point guard, a legendary Cyclone and according to at least one NBA player, the possible steal of the draft.

He brings a traditional point guard skill-set to the table, something Denver actually lacks despite their various options at the position. The selection of Morris seems to imply that Denver is preparing for at least one of these scenarios: The eventual retirement of Jameer Nelson (or at minimum, a decrease in his role), or perhaps the possibility of moving on from Jamal Murray or Emmanuel Mudiay via trade.

There’s a ton of uncertainty at the position. Nelson started for the team last year and served as an important veteran presence on a young team. But he’s 35 years old now and hardly an ideal option for a team looking to improve on defense.

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Emmanuel Mudiay was the team’s seventh overall pick back in 2015. He has elite physical tools and great athleticism at the position. But thus far, he’s failed to demonstrate that he can shoot the ball effectively and limit his turnovers.

Many believe that last year’s seventh overall pick, Jamal Murray, is a star in the making. But the key part of that sentence is “in the making.” Murray is just 20 years old, and while his per 36 numbers last year put him in some elite company, he’s still far from his ceiling as a lethal scorer in the NBA. His defense is a work in progress as well.

Morris was worth a roll of the dice all the way down at pick No. 51. With that being said, his impact won’t be felt right away. That pick may help them down the line, but it doesn’t make the starting point guard picture any clearer in Denver.

Morris won’t start this year, so let’s run through Denver’s alternative options for their starting point guard in the 2017-18 NBA season.