Built Different: What We Can Learn About Roster Construction from The 2023 Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets, 2023 NBA Champions. A steamroller of a team spearheaded by a seven-foot Serbian superstar and his Canadian sidekick. Besides being a sign of basketball's growth as a global game, the Nuggets' roster is a lesson to us all on the art of roster construction. In this article, I summarise some key lessons from the 2023 Denver Nuggets.
Depth is 🔑
One of the enduring trends in the NBA is the pursuit of a 'Big Three'. There have been successful examples in NBA history (think Jordan/Pippen/Rodman or LeBron/Wade/Bosh), but they're notoriously hard to put together successfully and might be worth more trouble (and trade capital) than they warrant.
Take, for instance, the Brooklyn Nets. In 2021, they rolled the dice on a big three of James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. Arguably the most talented trio of basketball players to grace the floor for the same team. But suffering severely from a lack of depth. In acquiring James Harden and Kevin Durant, the Nets traded away young, core pieces of their franchise; D'Lo was dealt to the Warriors, Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince were shipped to Cleveland, and Caris LeVert was traded to Indiana. Also, trading/signing three max-contract players severely limited what their leverage on the free agency market. The result was ultimately a complete mess. Though primarily due to off-court issues, the Nets ultimately had to cut their losses by trading Harden and KD and go back into a rebuild three years into their 'Big Three' era.
Contrast this strategy to that of Denver, the 2023 NBA champions. The current Nuggets team doesn't definitively have a 'Big Three', but rather nine or ten players who can give significant minutes, both in the regular season and playoffs. Their roster is constructed with their two main guys in mind, Jokic and Murray. Around those two are a plethora of offensive and defensive talents, complementing their two superstars’ strengths and weaknesses. They have knock-down shooters in Michael Porter Jr and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to take advantage of Jokic's otherworldly passing ability. KCP also doubles as a defensive presence, bringing championship-tested perimeter defence and awareness. Elsewhere, they have scorers such as Bruce Brown and Aaron Gordon, who contributed efficiently and had some massive games in the playoffs.
The Nuggets' strength in depth is one of the main reasons they coasted to the one seed during the regular season. When MVP conversations became toxic, and Jokic decided to wind down and rest for the playoffs, the Nuggets still managed to secure the top spot, thanks to their terrific form during the first three-quarters of the season. Furthermore, Jokic resting gave more playing time to their rotation players, allowing the Nuggets to test out different lineups they could utilise in the playoffs.
Though many will argue regular season positions are meaningless in light of the Miami Heat's late playoff run as the 8th-seed, the Nuggets proved that playing well during the regular season can pay dividends come playoff time. One of the few criticisms of the Nuggets' playoff run this season was how much they outclassed their opponents, beating the play-in Timberwolves and Lakers, the 4th-seed Suns, and the 8th-seed Heat. However, the Nuggets favourable playoff matchups were simply a product of their regular season dominance, achieved thanks to their strength in depth.
Draft to Develop
Another key to the Nuggets' success this season was their ability to draft and develop players. Compared to acquiring talent through free agency or trades, drafting talent gives teams the advantage of retaining players long-term, thanks to Bird rights and rookie extensions. For small-to-middle market teams like Denver, it is often futile to try and attract big names in free agency or be the pick-of-the-bunch for disgruntled superstars in trade rumours. As such, being able to draft and develop superstars in-house represents the best strategy for most teams.
This was exemplified this season, as three of the Nuggets' main contributors this season were drafted by the franchise.
The first to be drafted was Nikola Jokic. His draft story is one of the more unusual and surreal. Drafted 41st overall in 2014, Jokic was predicted to be a mid-to-late second-round pick and had the draft comparison of Nikola Vucevic. Nothing remarkable, but perhaps worth taking a chance on. His greatest attribute at that time, and maybe still today, was his basketball IQ. His game was mature beyond his years, and his unselfish nature and strong work ethic could see him develop into an NBA-level talent. His athleticism was the only issue that could have limited his potential as an NBA big man. Back in 2014, several premier centres were still in their prime, including Marc Gasol, Boogie Cousins, Dwight Howard and Joakim Noah. All solid defensive players, Jokic would have to develop significantly to be considered of the same calibre. Despite this, the Nuggets took a chance on the big man from Sombor, seeing his potential. During his rookie season, he averaged 10 points on a respectable 51% FG%. Being announced as a starter after just 12 games of the season, Jokic lost his first seven games as a starter and returned to the bench. However, he later reclaimed his spot as a starter and went on to start 55 games for the Nuggets that season, showing how much the Nuggets believed in him as a future piece in their franchise. Since then, Jokic has repaid the Nuggets' faith in him (with interest), developing significantly in all areas of his game and becoming arguably the most complete offensive player in NBA history. Jokic is, without a doubt, the greatest steal in NBA draft history and a masterpiece in developing raw talent, which both he and the Nuggets' deserve their flowers for.
Another of the Nuggets' draft steals is Michael Porter Jr, whose draft story couldn't have been more different from Jokic's. One of the most highly-anticipated recruits coming out of high school, MPJ seemingly had the basketball world at his feet. However, just two minutes into his college career at Missouri, he suffered a back injury that would require surgery and caused him to miss almost the entire season. Thankfully, the surgery was successful, and he returned later in the year. He would go on to play just a couple more games that season and still declared for the 2018 draft. The injury hurt his draft stock, as teams were reluctant to take on a player who could have reoccurring injuries hamper their development. One team who wasn't put off? The Denver Nuggets. They drafted Porter Jr 14th overall (after he had been a potential top-3 pick). He underwent a second surgery that summer, and was rested for his entire rookie season, giving him as much time to recover as possible. He had a quiet debut season, coming off the bench in most games, but exploded onto the scene in his second season, averaging 19 points. A third back surgery meant he missed most of the 2021-22 season and only returned this year. However, the Nuggets' patience paid off; he is now regarded as an elite role player and a lights-out shooter, complementary to Jokic's play style. Ultimately, the Nuggets acquired a highly skilled player in MPJ because they were willing to be patient with him when other teams were not. Although the pick could have easily backfired, he has already proven himself as an important rotational piece on a championship-level team, which is more than most late-lottery picks achieve in their careers.
Finally, Jamal Murray was another of the Denver Nuggets' lottery picks. Similarly to MPJ, Murray was a young and exciting talent, but raw. In 2015, he was the number one scorer in college basketball among under-20-year-olds (Whilst being just 18 years of age). A talented scorer and shot-creator, it was thought that he could develop into a solid lead guard in the NBA, although his playmaking and defence were seen as questionable for his position. The Nuggets, perhaps catching glimpses of the playmaking prowess Jokic could achieve, took Murray with the 7th overall pick in 2016. Since then, he has developed incredibly well into an efficient three-level scorer. Whilst Jokic has taken up the playmaking mantle, Murray has proven himself as a quietly-capable ball-handler, creating shots for himself and others off the dribble. He has also cemented himself as someone who steps up when the lights are at their brightest, which was hinted at in his pre-draft report. Murray consistently elevates his game during the playoffs, an invaluable skill that can't be taught.
Through drafting three of their main contributors, the Nuggets' have ensured that they can keep talent on their roster for the foreseeable future. Rather than trading all their picks and young players for the promise of immediate success, the Nuggets have built their roster from the ground up. As such, the future of their franchise is very much within their own hands, and with the talent they have, it promises to be exciting.
Trust Your Core
Another major success of the Nuggets has been their stability. Since the 2017-18 season, Jokic and Murray have solidified themselves as the one-two punch in Denver's arsenal. On top of this, their Head Coach, Mike Malone, has been with the team since 2015. This core stability has allowed their main personnel to develop alongside one another.
Malone was a huge part of the Warriors' early success in the 2010s as an assistant manager but only had one prior position as a head coach before joining Denver, taking charge of the Sacramento Kings in 2013. Since taking over in Denver, he too has developed as a coach and leader, helping take the team from perennial first-round exits to Western Conference Finalists and eventual Champions. Jokic himself has credited the team's personnel stability as the foundation for their success.
The Nuggets' stability not only comes from their core's development together but also their play-styles. Jokic is the picture of consistency, rarely having an off night and averaging a near 25-point triple-double for the season (on over 63% from the field). Elsewhere, Jamal Murray is a calming presence on the ball, especially in the playoffs, where he elevated his assists to 7.1 a game, averaging just 2.5 turnovers. Having players that consistently deliver, and don't panic when things aren't going their way, is a luxury few teams can afford.
The Nuggets' front office has also given their roster stability by avoiding trying to add a 'third star' and instead allowing their role players to fill that position. They could very easily looked to add an elite wing to give more shot creation, but instead opted to fill their roster with more overall talent, in the form of solid role players. By not opting for that 'third piece, they avoided the distractions and discomfort of trade rumours and let their players figure it out for themselves. This paid off, as their role players continuously stepped up, especially during their Championship run.
Finally, the role players they acquired provided stability through their experience. Players like DeAndre Jordan, Jeff Green and Reggie Jackson have been around the league and know what it takes to win on the biggest stage, even if they hadn't made it themselves. Their veteran presence and influence on the roster were instrumental in the Nuggets' success this season.
Situation is Everything
The final lesson we can learn from the Nuggets is that a change in scenery and role can mean everything for a player. For example, someone who was expected to be a first or second option on a struggling team might instead flourish in a backseat role on a stronger team. Such players might not be suited to a high offensive load, but instead be 'star role players'.
In the Nuggets’ case, this was Aaron Gordon. For many years he was one of the primary offensive weapons of the Orlando Magic, as they finished in the lottery or a low playoff position. He was known for his aggressive dunks, solid rebounding, and respectable playmaking for a forward. However, following his trade to Denver in 2021, he was given a different role to fill. Rather than needing to facilitate for his teammates and score himself, he could focus on making cuts and finishing looks generated by Jokic and Murray's playmaking. As a result, his assist numbers took a dive (dropping from over 4 a game to around 2.5). Still, his scoring efficiency increased dramatically (jumping from a FG% of approximately 44 to over 56 this season). A relaxed offensive pressure also allowed him to invest more effort into his defence. As a high-flying dunker, his physical attributes are incredibly desirable, and enable him to be an effective rim-deterrent, which was desperately needed for Denver. Although Jokic is by no means a poor defensive big, his rim protection was a slight weakness in his otherwise near-faultless game, which Gordon helped alleviate. Gordon has since thrived in this role, being one of the key contributors in their 2023 playoff success.
A change of situation and role has also been instrumental in previous championship teams. Andrew Wiggins on the Warriors and Jrue Holiday on the Bucks are two recent examples that spring to mind. Both of which were players who starred in their roles and helped put their team over the top, from championship hopefuls to finals winners.
Conclusions
To conclude, the 2023 Denver Nuggets are an incredibly well-asssembled team. Built from the ground up, they were led by three players drafted by the franchise, and a head coach who has overseen their development. They also had a number of efficient and energetic role players, who provided them with depth and starred in their roles. Finally, by using the draft to acquire their main talent, they have ensured they’ll be contenders to years to come.