Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Emmanuel Mudiay (China) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number seven overall pick to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
15. Denver Nuggets
2014-2015 Efficiency Rating: 37.4
The Denver Nuggets were a team full of turmoil last season. Be it Ty Lawson or coach Brian Shaw struggling to relate to millennials, there was definitely a lack of structure within the organization. He even went so far as to try rapping a scouting report to his team…yikes.
Fast forward to now, the Denver Nuggets have cleaned house. Shaw is gone, and they replaced him with the wrongfully terminated Mike Malone, the former Sacramento Kings coach.
He had an ability to reach a “problem player” like DeMarcus Cousins and he seems as if he will be a strong fit in Denver.
Lawson is gone and he is replaced with the promising rookie Emmanuel Mudiay. The craziest part of all this? Denver’s bench was actually good last season.
They were 14th in efficiency and 11th in points per game. Overall, it was a talented group. Really not much has changed.
J.J. Hickson and Darrell Arthur pose legitimate threats as the backup big men, while the re-signing of Will Barton gives them great athleticism and defense on the wing. Both Gary Harris and Randy Foye also figure to play some time off the bench and their versatility offers a unique rotational advantage.
Maybe the best thing of all though is Jameer Nelson. It’s now time to have the cliché’ glue guy conversation that isn’t necessarily acquainted with statistical evidence. His impact on the locker room and rookie Mudiay will prove invaluable. He is still a talented point guard, but is a shell of what he was in Orlando. If he can accentuate the growth of a top talent like Mudiay, he is an integral part of the bench.
Things were rough in the Mile High City last season, but that is about to change. With some structure, some luck in the health department and some depth, the Nuggets will improve on last year’s record.
Next: Toronto Raptors