The sixth man position in the NBA is an important role on any team. Generally the bench player to play the most minutes among the non-starters in the rotation, the sixth man brings a different dynamic from the starting group or the rest of the bench and can change the game entirely after stepping on the floor. The Los Angeles Clippers feature Lou Williams at sixth man, a lethal scorer and playmaking wing that impacts every game with his offensive repertoire. The Golden State Warriors featured Andre Iguodala as their sixth man for several years and won three championships with him coming off the bench and appearing in the Warriors’ death lineup. The Toronto Raptors have Fred VanVleet, who altered this year’s Finals and helped bring a championship to Canada with his excellent play.
For the Nuggets, the sixth man position used to feature Will Barton for years before he moved into the starting lineup in 2018-19. Last season, Isaiah Thomas was brought in to be the sixth man, but in place of the injured guard, Monte Morris experienced a breakout season and played the most minutes of any Nuggets reserve. Morris, wing scorer Malik Beasley, and versatile center Mason Plumlee all played over 1,700 minutes last year and averaged over 21 minutes per game. All three were strong reserves and shared the role of sixth man as a trio.
However, the 2019-20 season appears to have set different expectations. With the addition of versatile power forward Jerami Grant, scoring forward Michael Porter Jr., and potentially better health from Denver’s starting wings of Barton and Gary Harris, it’s possible that each member of Denver’s reserve trio could experience a decline in minutes. The Nuggets will have major decisions to make with their rotation going forward, and minutes could be more difficult to come by for Morris, Beasley, and Plumlee.
With that in mind, here’s this week’s question: Who will be the sixth man for the Denver Nuggets during the 2019-20 season?
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