The Nuggets have already added a handful of two-way pieces, but one of them deserves a real look instead of the usual garbage-time cameo. Ryan Nembhard should get a shot in place of Tyus Jones, because the non-Jamal Murray minutes have looked rough with Jones steering the offense.
Jones has logged only 50 minutes alongside Murray in those stretches, and the results have been ugly. Denver has been outscored by 22.5 points per 100 possessions in those minutes, according to DataBallr.
The offense has sputtered to a 91.4 rating, and Jones has produced just 3 assists and 12 points across five games. Meanwhile, Murray has had to carry a huge load early in the season, and the offense bogging down with Jones is a big reason he leads the league in minutes played.
There’s a simple case for trying something different: the Nuggets really don’t have much to lose here. Dallas already made the switch once, leaning on the two-way rookie Nembhard as its point guard answer over Jones after Jones arrived in the Anthony Davis trade at the deadline. The Mavericks moved on from Jones, and Denver picked him up on the buyout market.
But the Nuggets should be the team that takes the next step with Nembhard. They’ve already seen what he can do.
In Denver’s Dec. 1 trip to Ball Arena, Nembhard burned the Nuggets for 28 points and 10 assists in just his third career start. He finished last season as the top rookie in assists at 5.3 per game and shot 35.6% from three.
He also took care of the ball, turning it over only 1.4 times in 19.5 minutes per game.
Head coach David Adelman said the main reason Nembhard was brought in was what he showed in practice, giving the Nuggets a smaller, quicker guard to test their defense against and create more reps against a player who can get into the paint and kick out to shooters. That skill set fits exactly what Denver needs when Murray sits.
Adelman has been using a stagger that puts Cameron Johnson and Aaron Gordon with the second unit, along with Marvin Bagley III and DeMar DeRozan. Nembhard could open up more three-point looks for Johnson or Gordon, or he could run pick-and-roll with Bagley, who has been effective finishing around the rim.
Defensively, Nembhard may not be a downgrade from Jones. Offensively, though, he offers more upside for the way Denver wants to play. The Nuggets need to hand him the keys and see whether he can settle into that role, at least until they know if he’s the answer behind Murray or if they need to look elsewhere.
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