Today, Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone received a much needed reprieve from speaking to the media after several sessions in a row. In his place came Bol Bol, who spoke to the media for the first time since being drafted in 2019, and Troy Daniels, who spent one week with the Nuggets before coronavirus shut down the entire world. Both had interesting things to say.
Bol Bol speaking to the media is an important step in his return to full health. The Nuggets wouldn’t have cleared him to speak with the media unless he was ready to go. This is an exciting point for Nuggets fans, and one that reminds this writer of the early stages of the Michael Porter Jr. hype.
When speaking about how practices were going, Bol shared this fun tidbit on the lineups the Nuggets have utilized in shorthanded practices:
“It’s been kinda crazy, because with not so many people, [you] can get placed anywhere. Sometimes, like today, I was playing at the 3.”
There it is. Bol Bol playing small forward. If the Nuggets don’t utilize that lineup in a scrimmage at some point, it will be slightly disappointing. Bol’s shooting ability, handles, and insane length on the perimeter would be quite the sight to see.
There was also this from Troy Daniels about Jokic’s place among NBA big men:
Here’s the full quote from Troy Daniels on Nikola Jokic:
“Best big in the league man. I mean, who wouldn’t want to play with the best? If you don’t want to play the best then you don’t belong here. He’s the best big in the league. He’s very talented, can pass the ball which I love as a shooter. He’s going to command a lot of double teams which will open up a lot of things for me, and you know, I just gotta make shots.”
With the Nuggets currently practicing shorthanded in Orlando, it shouldn’t surprise anyone if Daniels were to get significant run with both the starters and the bench as a complementary shooter. He will likely play some minutes with Jokic, and he sees what the rest of the Nuggets organization and fan base sees on a regular basis: Jokic creates great opportunities for his teammates every single night. Daniels is surely hoping to capitalize on some open looks, which, as a career 39.6% three-point shooter, is a tantalizing prospect for Daniels.
The most interesting piece of this quote is the context though. Daniels spent several months on the Los Angeles Lakers roster this year, playing alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis in 41 games before being released by the team on March 2nd, nine days before the NBA postponed the season. Daniels signed an official contract with the Nuggets on March 5th, and it seems like Jokic has made a major impact on Daniels in his brief time around the organization.
