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Denver Nuggets: Five former players that would have helped this team

By Dean Hasan

DENVER - MARCH 05: Chauncey Billups #7 of the Denver Nuggets huddles with teammates Chris Andersen #11, Carmelo Anthony #15, J.R. Smith #1 and Linas Kleiza #43 as they face the Portland Trail Blazers during NBA action at the Pepsi Center on March 5, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. The Nuggets defeated the Trail Blazers 106-90. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
DENVER - MARCH 05: Chauncey Billups #7 of the Denver Nuggets huddles with teammates Chris Andersen #11, Carmelo Anthony #15, J.R. Smith #1 and Linas Kleiza #43 as they face the Portland Trail Blazers during NBA action at the Pepsi Center on March 5, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. The Nuggets defeated the Trail Blazers 106-90. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /
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Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /

3. Danilo Gallinari (2016-17)

The Nuggets might not have a lack of offensive firepower, but Danilo Gallinari‘s ability to stretch the floor from the forward slot is valuable to any team. Although he comes with a lot of injury history, when healthy, he’s one of the most effective scorers in the league.

During his roughly six-season tenure with Denver, Gallinari averaged 16.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game on .419/.366/.864 splits. He also led the team in scoring in both the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons, where he put up 19.5 and 18.2 points per game respectively.

A starting lineup that featured Gallinari alongside one of Grant or Millsap would mean for some impressive height and perimeter shooting ability from Denver’s wings. This season, Grant and Millsap are shooting 40.0 percent on 3.4 attempts per game and 44.0 percent on 2.5 attempts per game from 3-point range respectively.

If we were to insert 2016-17 Gallinari, who converted on 38.9 percent of his 5.1 triples per game into the current Nuggets alongside one or both of Grant and Millsap, opposing teams would be hardpressed to contest over each of the three forwards’ seven-foot-plus wingspans.

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On a similar note, this trio projects to be disruptive defensively in terms of contesting shots and effectively playing passing lanes. While Gallinari isn’t typically thought of as an excellent defender, tracking statistics from his time with Denver generally peg him as a plus defender outside of the paint.

When defended by Gallinari, offensive players tended to shoot a lower field goal percentage from the perimeter, and with at least two of Jokic, Millsap and Grant on the floor at the same time, he wouldn’t take priority as an interior defender, even against teams running more traditional bigs at the four and five spots.

Having Gallinari play the sixth-man role would also work as a means to alleviate any defensive or injury concerns. He’d be the go-to guy when starters take a breather, allowing him to focus his efforts on offense. In crunch-time, he’d similarly sub-in for one of Harris, Grant, or Millsap, offering Denver additional flexibility based on their opponent and the current matchups on the floor.

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