The Denver Nuggets traded for Mason Plumlee to be a backup with a similar playing style as Nikola Jokic. Instead, he has been at his best when playing with the star center.
The Denver Nuggets might have had multiple motivations for trading for Mason Plumlee last season. One clear factor was removing Jusuf Nurkic, who was negatively impacting the team’s chemistry. They were also looking to clear the way for Nikola Jokic. With that in mind, trading for another center made little sense on the surface.
However, the idea behind acquiring Mason Plumlee made more sense if one viewed Plumlee as a backup. With his excellent passing touch at his size, the Nuggets could conceivably run a similar offense without Jokic on the court using Plumlee as the pivot man.
While this idea made sense in theory, the reality of the situation has been strangely different from what the Nuggets might have expected. Plumlee has actually been at his best when playing alongside Jokic, rather than playing behind him.
While the impending return of Paul Millsap seems likely to limit the playing time for the Jokic-Plumlee tandem (as Plumlee will almost certainly lose his starting spot), the duo’s effect has been interesting and entirely unexpected.
The Twin Towers of dimes
The potential issues of a Jokic-Plumlee pairing would, on paper, render the lineups worse than useless. Plumlee is a mediocre defender at best, and Jokic is an excellent player despite his defensive shortcomings.
When the two bigs play together, the defense predictably suffers. However, the offense also spikes dramatically. Jokic is the league-leader in Assist Percentage among 62 centers who average more than 15 minutes per game, and Plumlee ranks 13th. Their ability to create plays for their teammates from the post has helped to keep Denver’s offense afloat.
The Denver Nuggets have an Offensive Rating of 112.6 points per 100 possessions in 323 minutes with Jokic and Plumlee together, per nbawowy. The two form one of the best interior passing duos in the league, and have gotten used to finding each other near the rim:
The team also has a Net Rating of +3.2 with both players on the floor together. However, Plumlee’s Net Rating overall is slightly negative–the team is outscored by 1.5 points per 100 possessions on average with Plumlee on the floor
That Net Rating of+ 3.2 is identical to Jokic’s mark for the season, which indicates that Plumlee’s improved play is not just a facet of being lucky enough to play with Jokic. Instead of playing his best basketball when filling in for Jokic, Plumlee plays his best basketball alongside him.
Future outlook
With the Denver Nuggets on the Western Conference playoff bubble as the eighth seed, the interplay between Plumlee and Jokic remains critical. Paul Millsap is slowly returning to health, but the Nuggets need to stay afloat until he gets back.
Denver’s rough start to January may have hurt them in the standings. However, the overall outlook should remain positive. It would be difficult for the team to fall completely out of contention before Millsap’s return.
Next: 2017-18 Week 15 NBA Power Rankings
Mason Plumlee makes sense as a backup to Nikola Jokic. He is arguably better-suited for that role than any other backup big man in the league. However, his success as Jokic’s partner-in-crime has, shockingly, helped keep the Nuggets in the playoff race.