A December change Denver Nuggets need

Frustrated at the Denver Nuggets’ waxing and waning play throughout their varying rotations? The answer may be simpler than you’d think.

The Denver Nuggets knew this East Coast road trip would be tough. Yet they’ve seemingly played a part in helping opponents, as performance has fluctuated vastly, often for no apparent reason.

Take Friday’s 108-95 loss to the Boston Celtics, for example. Boston’s largest lead reached 23 … yet three starters finished with a net rating of zero or better. Meanwhile, the bench killed every burst of momentum the starters tried to piece together, led by Jerami Grant‘s horrendous minus-24 net rating.

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But then the starters disappointed in Sunday’s lackluster loss to the Brooklyn Nets, failing to capitalize on Nikola Jokic‘s second straight gem. The offense was stagnant, the paint war wasn’t close and Jamal Murray and Will Barton each clanked wild shots as time elapsed in the fourth quarter.

No starter finished better than minus-9, which is inexcusable given Denver’s considerable talent edge. The lack of movement around Jokic was also notable.

Not long ago, the squad was winning ugly, finishing the first 16 games with a beautiful-ish heap of a 13-3 record. Suddenly, that same sloppiness came back to bite them and now Denver’s dropped four of its last five.

When things are clicking, the Nuggets can hang with anyone, as they played the Lakers competitively even without their best stuff last week.

Denver’s defense is undeniably stellar (102.3 defensive rating, second-best in NBA) and the best version of the offense looks really freaking good.

Yet, several facets have gone rogue with the Nuggets this year, mostly on the offensive end. The main notables:

1. “Jokic-ball” isn’t being utilized: Gone are the highly effective cuts and layups, replaced by a stagnant offense that’s much easier to guard
2. Jamal Murray’s offense has taken center stage — and he’s often looked great — however, there is less involvement by all five guys on offense, making for a predictable attack
3. Gary Harris is the fifth scoring option among the starters, averaging a five-year low of 10.6 points per game
4. The bench has struggled mightily on offense, especially during stints where five bench members play together

It’s December … the first wave of fatigue is kicking in …. games are being lost … problems are coming to light … and oh, by the way, the squad is in the midst of perhaps their toughest road trip. Adversity will happen, no surprises here.

And it will pass. One way to help it pass faster, however? Try playing a normal bench rotation.

While the Nuggets often employ a five-man, all-bench rotation, it’s rare for other teams to utilize their reserves in this fashion. Why? Simply put, this brand rarely works in today’s NBA, as most teams always have a starter or two in to stabilize things.

Take Houston Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni, for example, who primarily plays six or seven guys, always leaving Harden or Westbrook in charge of the offense. Portland Trail Blazers’ coach Terry Stotts often employs the same strategy with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.

On the same note, no good has come of the Nuggets’ stubborn, dare-to-be-different approach. Last year’s decently effective bench has become a liability overnight.

Which leads us to the burning question: What if the Nuggets staggered Jokic, Murray and Harris to better elevate the offense?

Playing with Jokic is a surefire way for Malik Beasley or Juan Hernangomez to accumulate easy buckets with their natural cutting abilities. Jokic could also provide Monte Morris better looks from deep, as his 3-ball was significant last year. Get these guys going (and perhaps get Michael Porter Jr. some reps) and life looks better right away.

Meanwhile, Murray eats bench defenders alive … give him minutes with the second unit and watch him elevate the lackluster offense. Besides, he’ll probably be more open to playing around Jokic when they’re together.

Throw Harris in with the second unit as well, and get him touches without four other scorers demanding the ball. He’s underachieving offensively and this won’t change if the ball never reaches him.

By no means should the Nuggets switch starters, as the starting rotation has generally proven to be the correct group. However, it makes sense to stagger lineups throughout the game, as neither the bench nor the starters has neared its potential offensively.

Malone has done many things well for the Nuggets. As die-hards remember, the squad was in a dark place when he took over following the failed Brian Shaw experiment. Fast forward to now and suddenly the Mile High is contending for a championship.

Yet, there’s a reason five-in, five-out rotations aren’t generally utilized past second-grade basketball. It doesn’t work in the NBA … and it certainly isn’t helping the Nuggets this season.

Let’s bring out Denver’s best self by staggering the rotations effectively, Coach. It’s time to start winning again, Nuggets Nation, and it starts with better utilization.