Denver Nuggets: 3 takeaways from 2017-18 season opener
3. Point guard problem remains
The main concern surrounding the Denver Nuggets roster this season revolved around the inexperience and lack of depth at the point guard position. The end of the Utah Jazz game will do nothing to change those doubts. Big man Nikola Jokic is the catalyst that sets up the offense, but Denver desperately needs a secondary guard to help him run the offense for a full season.
Head coach Mike Malone started a backcourt of Jamal Murray and Gary Harris against the Jazz. These two are talented players with an ability to score, but neither has developed the traits to run an offense at this stage of their young careers.
More from Denver Nuggets
- This overlooked skill proves that Nikola Jokic is underrated defensively
- Why the loss of impact players won’t damage Denver’s repeat title hopes
- Has Denver’s risky offseason hurt their repeat title hopes?
- The Nuggets’ sneaky great draft bolsters their championship roster
- Despite a short series, the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat saved the NBA
Emmanuel Mudiay is another high-drafted point guard the Nuggets expect to develop, but, like Murray, he’s extremely young and needs court time to improve his game. The problem is this team is built to compete for the playoffs this season and could be a whole lot better with a playmaking guard to complement Jokic and Paul Millsap, but also has young guards that need developmental time.
Will Barton will shoulder a larger playmaking role off the bench until the young guards improve. His shot creation and ability to make difficult shots was on display in the first half Wednesday night, but it’s tough to maintain that scoring output over a full game. I’d like to see him use his shot-creating skills to set up teammates more and take control of the playmaking spot.
This is why the waiving of veteran point guard Jameer Nelson to make room for Richard Jefferson will hurt the Nuggets for the early part of the season. Nelson was the best guard on the Nuggets last season and gave them a calming prescence on the court. How Denver handles this position will be a story to monitor throughout the season.