Denver Nuggets: 3 big questions following 2019 NBA All-Star break
1. How will the rotation shake out?
The Nuggets go 11 players deep on a nightly basis right now, and they could even go 12-deep if Thomas is able to play consistently. While that can help them stay fresh, the playoffs require you to play your starters a lot more than that, unless you’re blowing teams out enough to give them a rest. Malone is going to have to learn over the next couple of months who will be playing a good number of minutes off the bench and who won’t.
It’s likely that only one of Trey Lyles or Torrey Craig will be on the floor when the playoffs start because they play similar roles, but it’s hard to say which one will be that be right now. Will Mason Plumlee stay on the floor when the majority of teams are going to smaller lineups, or will Denver attempt to take advantage of their size and bully smaller teams?
Denver has the depth to go 12-deep every night to wear opposing teams out, and its bench has been one of the better groups in the NBA this season. However, the playoffs are all about the starters. Championship teams will have their best players play 44 minutes a night if that is what it takes to get a win. These are the questions Malone will have to answer, and these answers can swing their season in a big way.