The Nuggets Need a Plan B-and It Starts in the Paint
Let’s be honest: the NBA regular season can feel like a long runway to the real show-the playoffs. Even for fans of elite teams, it’s easy to tune out until the games start to truly matter. And right now, it feels like the Denver Nuggets might be coasting a bit too comfortably on that same wavelength-at least when they’re at home.
Denver’s last four home games have raised more than a few eyebrows. Losses to teams they should be handling with ease.
Defensive breakdowns, especially in crunch time. These aren’t just blips on the radar-they’re the kind of losses that can come back to bite when playoff seeding is on the line.
This is a team that made all the right moves last summer. The front office duo of Jon Wallace and Ben Tenzer earned plenty of praise for their aggressive, forward-thinking roster tweaks.
They moved off of Michael Porter Jr.’s heavy contract and brought in a legitimate backup center to ease the burden on Nikola Jokić. It was the kind of strategic reshuffling that championship teams make.
But there’s still a piece missing.
Despite having the most skilled big man on the planet in Jokić, the Nuggets still need another frontcourt presence-someone with size, toughness, and a little bit of that old-school edge. Right now, they’re getting pushed around in the paint, and it’s costing them.
Normally, that physicality would come from Aaron Gordon. But with Gordon sidelined until at least January with a lingering hamstring issue-the same one he’s been battling since last season-Denver’s defense has taken a nosedive.
Since his injury, the Nuggets have posted the worst defensive rating in the league. That’s not a coincidence.
With Gordon out, head coach David Adelman has been forced to slide Peyton Watson into the starting power forward role. Watson’s a promising player, but he’s not built for the physical grind of the four spot.
Christian Braun’s also out with a sprained ankle, which has pushed Spencer Jones into the starting lineup. Jones is a solid role player, but he wasn’t even cracking the rotation before the injuries.
He’s being asked to do more than he’s ready for.
And while Braun is expected to return soon, Gordon’s situation is far murkier. Given the recurring nature of his injury, there’s no guarantee he’ll come back at full strength-or stay healthy through the grind of the second half and the postseason.
That means Denver can’t afford to wait. They need help now.
Zeke Nnaji has had some decent moments in spot duty, but he hasn’t shown enough consistency on either end to be a reliable solution. First-round pick DaRon Holmes is still finding his footing in the G League and profiles more as a stretch big than a true power forward. Like Watson, he prefers to operate away from the basket-not exactly what Denver needs right now.
One intriguing option? Slide Jokić to the four and bring in a traditional center like Jonas Valančiūnas.
It’s not as wild as it sounds. Jokić already initiates the offense from the perimeter half the time, and his passing and playmaking would still shine from the high post.
Meanwhile, Valančiūnas would give the Nuggets some much-needed muscle on the boards and a defensive anchor in the paint.
Because here’s the reality: right now, average NBA bigs are having field days against Denver’s frontcourt. That’s not going to change unless the Nuggets change the lineup.
Forget chasing the top seed in the West-Oklahoma City looks like they’ve locked that up. The bigger concern for Denver is avoiding a slide to the four seed, which would put them on a collision course with the Thunder in the second round.
That’s a matchup they’d rather delay, if not avoid altogether. Home court advantage matters, especially for a team still trying to find its defensive identity.
So the Nuggets need to start planning now. Whether it’s a trade, a free agent pickup, or a creative lineup tweak, they need to find another big man who can hold the fort until Gordon is back-and possibly beyond that.
Because if Denver wants to defend its title, it’s going to take more than just the brilliance of Jokić. It’s going to take size, depth, and a little bit of grit in the paint.
Plan A is on hold. Time to roll out Plan B.