New Nuggets addition Bruce Brown seems to be the exact defensive puzzle piece the team had been missing, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post (subscriber-exclusive link).
“When I realized that Bruce was still available (as a free agent), that was, ‘Hey man, this is a guy that we need,’” head coach Michael Malone said, adding that he communicated that to team GM Calvin Booth during the offseason. “You might score on him, but he’s not gonna back down.”
The 26-year-old inked a two-year, $13MM deal with the Nuggets this summer.
Singer notes that the 6’4″ Brown possesses a versatility that allows him to cover opposing positions ranging from point guards to power forwards, and can function in a variety of ways on offense as well. Malone has been making a concerted effort to play Brown at the point to see what he can do as a play-maker.
There’s more out of the Northwest Division:
- The Jazz face some tough choices when it comes to how they want to use veteran power forward Rudy Gay this season, writes Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. As Todd outlines, the team could look to showcase the 36-year-old either to boost his trade value or to use him as a mentor to their rebuilding roster, or the club could opt to waive the remaining two years and $12.7MM remaining on his current contract.
- Though Trail Blazers star point guard Damian Lillard could have demanded a trade out of town, he decided instead to stick around as the team re-tools. Logan Murdock of The Ringer details how Lillard questioned the team’s direction following a 2021 first-round playoff exit. “It just had reached the point where I was like, ‘Is what I want the same as what the organization wants?’” Lillard told Murdock. “Do we actually want to win, or is it a situation where, ‘We’re going to be good enough, we know Dame is going to put his best foot forward and it’s going to be entertaining, we’re going to be competitive, we’re going to have a chance in the playoffs.’”
- Following an underwhelming 1-4 preseason finish, which included three blowout defeats, the Trail Blazers and second-year head coach Chauncey Billups could have a rough road reaching even a .500 record, let alone a postseason return, opines Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian (subscriber-exclusive link).
Portland needs better front court depth, because after Winslow and Nurkic there isn’t much left on the team..
That’s if you run Winslow as a 4..They could probably go with Grant as a 4, but they are way too heavy on two-gaurds..
Payton II was a solid addition, but he’s going to have to play the 3 and be forced to Guard bigger guys because they’re going to be running out their other guards in Keon, Dame, Simons, Hart, and Williams, and none of those guys are exactly tough defenders…
They need to continue to “retooling” their roster, and they’re going to need another year to add more size and depth to their front court. Nurkic is a very good Center, but you can’t just have Nurkic and a few big SFs as your main pieces and expect to he successful.
Of course they go Grant at the 4 and Hart at the 3, Winslow is a nice backup.
U forgot Jerami Grant
No way POR reaches a .500 or the playoffs this season!
It’s a weird situation for the Jazz to by in.
On the one hand, if I’m the Jazz, I like Rudy Gay. He’s skilled and experienced. Can give you some veteran leadership.
On the other hand, I only have 15 roster spots and there’s no real clear choices to cut, but I have to cut two more to get to 15. The guys I would choose keep performing and increasing their value.
Plus, there’s not much time to get a trade done unless you can find a team willing to take his remaining contract and likely another player or 2 and only bring back 1 player. Ideally, it would be a 3 for 1.
Other than a trade, the only other scenario where you could retain value is if the players cut are then signed to their G-League team. The time to do that is when everyone else does it so they’re less likely to be claimed off waivers because there’s better options out there.
Still, I would think, at this point, that the Jazz would prioritize long-term value players over short-term.
The players in the middle are your best players. That’s where guys like Markkanen, Sexton, Beasley, Fonntecchio, Johnson, THT, etc are. They’re not rookies, but don’t have as much growth left as a rookie. But if you claim to want to be competitive then these are the guys you would want to keep the most. Otherwise, you’ll need to trade them.
If I want to build a contender over the next say 4 years. The only players I can see as championship level pieces are:
ROSTER BREAKDOWN:
SF/PF
Stanley Johnson as your vocal, defensive leader. Just needs to continue outside shooting development. Definitely capable. For now, he would be nice to come in with a scorer off the bench. But if he could show good court vision, could be valuable as a Draymond role on offense instead of a shooter. He’s smart enough to adapt to any role, especially on defense. I’d like to see him play a big role in this last preseason game to have a better idea of how to use him with this team.
SF/PF
Lauri Markkanen as your versatile scorer. Just needs to stay aggressive.
SF/PF
Jarred Vanderbilt as your versatile defender and rebounder. Needs at least a respectable jumper like Kirilenko developed.
SF/PF/SG
Fonntecchio as your volume shooter and inside defender. He’s shown in EuroBasket that he’s able to be a primary scorer when needed and can defend against modern big men. Just needs time to improve communication and adapt to the NBA game. For now, he would be your shooter off the bench. Would need to improve speed if he wants to start. Likely SG would be the only position available for awhile.
SG
Clarkson right now is your volume shooter, but in 4 years he would be a nice bench scorer as long as he keeps his speed.
PG
NAW is one of those guys that is developing nicely. I like his activity on both ends of the floor. His defense has really improved. Him and Stanley Johnson work really well together. For now, could be a nice high energy bench duo.
Center:
Olynyk can be that veteran skilled big that makes winning plays when you need it. Although, in 4 years would likely come off the bench.
Center:
Walker Kessler as your primary interior defender and rebounder. Has also shown really nice touch around the rim and powering over defenders as a roll man. Could use an optional jumper, but most likely all is needed is a free-throw jumper or top of the arc 3.
SG/SF
Beasley could play that 6th man scoring role. Has enough experience that he could also start. Just depends on who’s in front of him. Solid defense could be part of a nice defensive bench. However, if incentive is needed to trade some of our bigger contracts then he might need to be included.
PG/SG
Sexton could be that scoring PG as long as he continues to get comfortable driving and passing. When you compare him to someone like Donovan Mitchell, you see how much more under control he is versus Sexton. However, Sexton is so much more active. His defense could be amazing if he had good running mates who like the fast break. Would be a nice starting PG or come in with the fast, defensive second unit. His best quality is his positive energy and exciting nature.
SG/PG
THT is a guy that stays aggressive. He just needs to learn when to back it back out. He would dramatically increase his shooting % by doing this. I would also limit the jump passing that some players do too much. As a PG, he would be wise to study Stockton’s one-handed passes. He had big hands, like I imagine THT does. Plus, he’s got long arms so those kind of passes would be much easier to make around guys. Also, needs to work on getting into rhythm sooner. Could be a starting PG or SG. He’s better suited as a traditional SG or modern combo guard.
PG
Bolmero has the tools to be a solid tall PG. I like his speed and skilled passing. He’s also shown to hit his 3’s. Just needs more time to develop. Could be a nice backup PG or wing in a pinch. I like his positive energy.
The rest:
Butler is a skilled player. He can score and is a decent passer. He’s just got short arms and so is a terrible defender against the 3. He’s fast enough. He just can’t cover the distance needed to really contest a 3. In a bubble, he could be a good rotational combo guard. I’m just concerned about defensively guarding future big PG’s. He would need to be very good on offensive to offset that.
Conley is perfect as a veteran leader for this semi-young team. In 4 years, he could still play that role, but more of a player coach and less player. Right now, he’s helpful. However, if there’s a trade available then that would help solve the logjam if there’s 3 for 1, for example.
Rudy Gay is in that situation now. He’s helpful for our young bigs. He can still score but is more useful as a rebounder and clutch scorer when you need a bucket. Hard to justify keeping him over say Stanley Johnson or Bolmero. I would include him in the 3 for 1.
Doke is an athlete to the max. He could be a very good big. I love his ability to close out on 3’s. He’s a great rebounder, better than Kessler. Kessler, however, is a better finisher on the move and slightly better shot blocker. Doke would be a good backup center. In 4 years he could be a Derrick Favors kind of player. However, he can’t stay healthy for very long. He’s also not as good of a communicator as you’d want in a championship center, backup or starting. However, he could have value in a trade if he could pass a physical. Otherwise, might have to cut him unless the other team is willing to waive the physical? Could be part of that 3 for 1. He’s still very young but experienced enough to help a veteran team.
Zeller seems more like an option if we had a roster spot available. I really like his basketball IQ and activity on both sides of the ball. It’s just hard to see who to drop instead of him? He’s on a camp deal so there’s no issue waiving him now and signing him again later if needed. Although, if the Jazz were really creative, they could do a sign-and-trade if the other team for reason needed to.
There is go. Enjoy!