NBA: 3 fringe players having a small breakout in the bubble

3. P.J. Dozier

How do the Denver Nuggets keep doing it? One of the deepest teams in the league continues to find new weapons to hurt opponents. With Nikola Jokic already an All-Star and Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. not too far behind, the supporting cast around them helps take Denver to another level.

Torrey Craig was a story earlier in the year for his ability to come into the starting lineup and provide some stellar play defensively while working without the ball on the offensive end to get whatever he could. These kinds of players can be so valuable shutting down opponents for a couple of minutes in a playoff series.

Well, it looks like the Nuggets have unearthed another player in a similar mold in P.J. Dozier. Before this season, his third in the league, he had appeared in eight total games across stints with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics. Two organizations who could do worse than have Dozier at the end of their bench right now.

Dozier has appeared in 26 contests for the Nuggets this year. Although he has yet to start a game and isn’t going to unless injury decimates this roster, his role and the trust the team has in him is increasing. His 12.8 minutes per game at the point guard position are important in helping the reserves navigate some stretches without their stars on the court.

Saturday night’s thrilling double-overtime win over the Utah Jazz marked another milestone in Dozier’s improvement. He played 16 minutes (which had as much to do with it being a double-overtime game than anything else). Although four points, three assists and two rebounds are not going to jump off the page, Dozier was so active defensively.

He played exactly how you would expect somebody fighting for a bigger role to play. Energy and enthusiasm on the court, chasing opponents all over the place and doing his best not to place a foot wrong with the ball in hand. This was a game with a playoff-like atmosphere and intensity, a great experience for Dozier heading into the postseason.