{"id":709,"date":"2016-09-18T17:16:33","date_gmt":"2016-09-18T21:16:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprobasketball.com\/?p=709"},"modified":"2016-09-18T17:16:33","modified_gmt":"2016-09-18T21:16:33","slug":"denver-nuggets-off-season-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2016\/09\/18\/denver-nuggets-off-season-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Denver Nuggets 2016 Off-season Report"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Denver Nuggets<\/strong> are a bit of an enigma in today’s NBA<\/strong>. Loaded with youth, talent, and athleticism, the Nuggets remain a team without an identity. To be clear, Denver is multiple pieces away from legitimate contention in the daunting Western Conference<\/strong>. The Nuggets entered the 2016 off-season with the mindset of “best player available” as they flesh out their rotation and look to improve across the board. Only time will determine whether the 2016 off-season brought Denver their “face of the future”. This off-season\u00a0certainly made\u00a0the future intriguing for the franchise.<\/p>\n

Denver Nuggets 2016 Off-season Report<\/strong><\/h2>\n

2016 NBA Draft<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Jamal Murray<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

The Nuggets entered the 2016 NBA Draft<\/strong> with questions about Emmanuel Mudiay<\/a><\/strong> at point guard. Specifically, there are concerns that Mudiay may never develop into the floor general of the Nuggets’ future. It became abundantly clear that Denver needed to provide scoring help for their talented, yet raw, point guard. Enter\u00a0University of Kentucky<\/strong> guard Jamal Murray<\/strong>, a marksman\u00a0drafted to provide scoring help in a deep back-court rotation.<\/p>\n

As the draft progressed, there was hope that Providence<\/strong> point guard Kris Dunn<\/a><\/strong> would drop to the Nuggets.\u00a0Ultimately, this pairing was not meant to be, as the Minnesota Timberwolves<\/strong> drafted Dunn with the 5th overall selection. With Dunn off the board, Denver shifted its focus to\u00a0Murray, a player the team coveted entering the\u00a0NBA Draft.\u00a0While Murray does\u00a0not solve questions at point guard, he does provide a capable scorer to\u00a0play alongside\u00a0Mudiay. The idea is that Murray will help Denver settle into its\u00a0half-court offense, creating easy assist opportunities for Mudiay. An interesting subplot entering the season is Murray’s ability to play both guard positions. If Mudiay continues to struggle with consistency and shot selection, will Denver change course and play Murray at point guard? This development could shape the course of the 2017 off-season in Denver.<\/p>\n

Juancho Hernangomez<\/strong><\/h4>\n

A secondary concern for the Nuggets entering the draft was front-court depth. Denver addressed this need by drafting stretch forward Juancho Hernangomez<\/strong> with the 16th overall selection. Standing at 6’9″, Hernangomez offers a 7’2″ wingspan that\u00a0will certainly\u00a0create an impact in the middle for the Nuggets. A capable defender and rebounder, Hernangomez also has a soft outside stroke that will help spread the floor for Denver. Following the loss of Joffrey Lauvergne<\/a><\/strong>, Hernangomez projects to contribute immediately in Denver’s front-court rotation.<\/p>\n

Malik Beasley<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

With their third pick\u00a0in the draft, the Nuggets selected\u00a0Malik Beasley<\/strong>\u00a019th overall. The selection of Beasley\u00a0screams “redundant” due to Denver’s depth at shooting guard. However, Beasley was the best player available when Denver picked at 19. Coming off of an injury at Florida State University<\/strong>, expectations are low for Beasley, in terms of immediate impact on the court. An athletic, high energy player, Beasley is an attractive addition to Denver’s offense, while providing a defensive upgrade for Denver’s second tier. It will be interesting to watch Beasley integrate into\u00a0Denver’s flow of play, and whether his addition will make other players (such as\u00a0Gary Harris<\/a> <\/strong>and\u00a0Will Barton<\/a><\/strong>) expendable at the trade deadline.<\/p>\n

The Dwyane Wade<\/a> Sweepstakes<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In what\u00a0was one of the more interesting developments of the 2016 free agency period, Denver became a surprise suitor for Dwyane Wade’s<\/strong> services. Following an acrimonious courting period in which\u00a0D-Wade decided to take his talents out of South Beach<\/strong>, Denver\u00a0emerged as\u00a0one of\u00a0only a few teams with enough cap space to make a legitimate offer. While it is in everyone’s best interest that Wade finally landed with the Chicago Bulls<\/strong>,\u00a0this courtship\u00a0established that Denver\u00a0is a desired free agent destination for top tier NBA talent. Some of the best moves made in basketball are the moves that aren’t made. If\u00a0Denver had\u00a0pulled the trigger on signing D-Wade, it would have been an aberration. Despite that, entering the sweepstakes for his services was still a brilliant public relations\u00a0move for a franchise desperate for some positive press.<\/p>\n

Key Departures<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In light of Denver’s concerns about Mudiay being the long-term solution at point guard, it is interesting that the Nuggets opted not to re-sign D.J. Augustin<\/a> <\/strong>for the 2016-17 season. Though there are plenty of questions about Augustin’s long-term NBA prospects, he is a serviceable point guard, capable of stepping in and leading\u00a0the offense. An adept scorer, Augustin could have played Robin to Murray’s Batman in Denver’s offense.\u00a0With Jameer Nelson<\/a><\/strong> returning, the loss of Augustin makes\u00a0point guard the Nuggets’ biggest concern entering 2016-17.<\/p>\n

Following Hernangomez’s showing in the\u00a0Las Vegas Summer League<\/strong>, Lauvergne became expendable in Denver’s front-court rotation. With front-court depth\u00a0being a concern for the Nuggets, Lauvergne proved to be a redundant piece\u00a0to a promising puzzle. Hernangomez’s ability to stretch the floor, as well as his length, should solidify the paint as the season progresses, making Lauvergne’s departure a minor loss\u00a0in Denver’s eventful off-season.<\/p>\n

Putting It All Together<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Nuggets certainly appear to be eyeing the future, featuring attractive trade assets for what will\u00a0likely be an interesting trade deadline in Denver.\u00a0Can Emmanuel Mudiay step up and become the floor general of the future? Will Jamal Murray become the outside scoring threat that Denver has lacked?\u00a0Are Gary Harris and Will Barton\u00a0now trade assets, as we approach the February trade deadline?\u00a0Does Hernangomez fit into the rotation, making\u00a0Kenneth Faried<\/a> <\/strong>expendable (for the right price)\u00a0in Denver? What will the Nuggets do to bring in a cornerstone player to bring the franchise to relevancy again? There are still many questions that remain to be answered in Denver, no doubt. The Nuggets are now equipped with assets to help them move forward in answering these questions, which have\u00a0become\u00a0a welcome discussion in Denver.<\/p>\n

Main photo:<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n