Denver Nuggets: 3 big questions heading into 2019-20

Who starts at small forward spot?

As previously mentioned, the Denver Nuggets have four solid starters, however the small forward slot is far less certain.

That fifth starter, aka the wing spot, was passed between Will Barton, Torrey Craig and Juan Hernangomez last season. Each brings different tools to the table, but no one took the reins to become a permanent starter.

Now that Jerami Grant is in town and Malik Beasley is fresh off a career year, an interesting battle awaits. Also, don’t forget highly-touted rookie Michael Porter Jr., who may be ready to contribute after eons of missed games and bubbly fan anticipation.

Let’s briefly meet the candidates:

Grant was recently acquired and brings a savvy mix of shooting, athleticism and defense. While playing mostly power forward last season, he still hit 40.3 percent from deep in 77 starts, and showed the quickness necessary to guard the 2-through-4 slots.

He posted a stellar 105.6 defensive rating, while his height (6’9”) and wingspan (7’3”) gave opponents fits. Here lies Denver’s best starting wing option.

Barton was last year’s primary starter, but missed 39 contests with a core injury. His 11.5 points per game was his lowest mark in four seasons, as was his 40.2 field-goal percentage.

Offensively, Barton heats up in a hurry, and plays the role of a spunky scorer. Defensively he’s well undersized, often surrendering boatloads of points to the Kevin Durant‘s and Paul George‘s of the world.

Craig is the antithesis of Barton, with great defensive prowess and limited offensive abilities. He too is undersized at 3, but could start for situational defense. He shot just 29.2 percent from deep in 37 starts, a horrific percentage over a sound sample size.

Beasley is an explosive scorer off the bench, and the league’s best fill-in starter at shooting guard. In 18 starts, he averaged 15.9 points per game on 55.1 percent shooting last year, while knocking down 50 percent from 3-point range.

He’s also undersized at small forward, and weakens the defense when he starts.

Hernangomez has great potential and plays well with Jokic, but his defensive focus needs honing. Porter, meanwhile, is a tantalizing prospect, but won’t be ready to start in 2019-20, as his health remains a question mark.

The coaching staff seems to consider Grant more of a backup 4, which is a shame. His combination of shooting, defense and athleticism would blend perfectly with the starting unit, filling Denver’s glaring two-way weakness on the wing.

He’ll be a strong stabilizer, even with the bench, but a short-sighted view of his fit could hurt the Nuggets’ overall opportunities.

This leaves Barton, Craig or Beasley, depending on Denver’s desires at the position. Barton averaged 15.7 points per game in 2017-18, so he’ll likely get the nod. Stylistically, Beasley is more comfortable with the catch-and-shoot game, which better fits Denver’s needs.

Don’t bother calculating defensive impact – both Beasley and Barton are equally undersized and harmful at the 3 slot.

No matter how it’s sliced, much uncertainty surrounds the starting small forward position. Championship teams answer these questions earlier in the season rather than later.