Several nuggets of information from the Denver Nuggets Media Day will be released as we hear them here on Denver Stiffs. One of the early interesting ones is that head coach Michael Malone would like both Juancho Hernangomez and Wilson Chandler to get playing time at the backup power forward position behind starter Paul Millsap.
This is not unexpected, as both men are combo forwards as well as good stretch options to help spread the defense for the bench unit. We had a debate here over the summer as to whether Hernangomez is better suited to play the 3 or the 4 for the Nuggets, and the answer is almost certainly, “both.”
But that squeezes playing time for other power forwards on the roster such as Trey Lyles, Kenneth Faried and Darrell Arthur, especially with the re-signing of Mason Plumlee in what may be a dual F/C role. The Nuggets today have already emphasized Arthur’s off-court and locker room value verbally while stating he’ll be limited in camp, but whether that’s partly because he is being squeezed out of the rotation or simply because his offseason knee treatments may need monitoring is still unknown.
Plenty of other guys will get a chance to step up in the pre-season, though, as Hernangomez will have his minutes limited to try to help him recover from a long summer that saw him play in both Summer League and Eurobasket, winning a bronze medal for Spain in the latter.
All of that will shake out as we get closer to the regular season, but stay tuned for further updates on the expected rotation as well as interviews with more Denver players and coaches today!
