Denver Nuggets: 3 candidates for a breakout season in 2019-20

1. Malik Beasley

Malik Beasley’s star is glowing brighter and brighter by the day. Coming off the bench as the primary backup to Gary Harris, Beasley’s job is to get in the game and put points on the board. Per 36 minutes last season, Beasley averaged 14.1 shots and scored an average of 17.1 points.

He also was pretty efficient while he did it as he shot 47.4 percent from the field and 40.2 percent from 3-point range.

In 2019, Beasley will continue to play that role for the Denver Nuggets, but he has made a strong case for receiving even more playing time. He averaged 23.2 minutes per game, and that number should only grow next year.

The Nuggets know that they have to keep their starters fresh for the playoffs, and they thankfully have the depth that allows them to do that. Beasley averaging at least 25.0 minutes per game is not out of the question.

During the playoffs, Beasley’s overall shooting took a slight hit as he was only shooting 38.7 percent from the field, but he continued to knock down 3-point shots at a 40.4 percent clip.

NBA teams are focusing more and more on the postseason while allowing the regular season to be more just a part of the journey. Beasley is a budding star in this league, and he’s well on his way to getting paid by the Nuggets or someone else when his contract is up.