3. Power forward Torrey Craig
This spot could belong to fellow power forward Trey Lyles, but it’s more than likely that Torrey Craig is going to be the one that remains in the rotation when the playoffs start.
Craig is better on the defensive end of the floor than Lyles, and, while he isn’t a great shooter from 3-point range, he’s still slightly better than Lyles at 28.7 percent compared to Lyles’ 25.4 percent.
Craig will be tasked with taking on the opposing team’s best wing players on a nightly basis. He has the size to body up against guys like Kevin Durant and Paul George that most wings are going to struggle with.
Another key thing for him will be if he is able to start hitting his 3-point shots at a higher clip. He’s not going to shoot at the levels that some of the league’s best stretch-4s can, but it would help if he were able to shoot at least 33 percent in the playoffs.
The Nuggets’ rotation is one of the deepest in basketball right now, and it’s going to shrink when the playoffs start. Craig is likely going to be the team’s first big wing off the bench, and he could even be able to start in certain matchups if they need him to.
He’s started 37 games for them this year. They’ll need him more down the stretch than they have all year.