The Big Man Conundrum: What Gives?

By Fansided and Mathew Huff/FanSided via Nugg Love
Published

Dec 2, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Houston Rockets center Clint Capela (15) guards Denver Nuggets center Jusuf Nurkic (23) in the first quarter at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Coach Malone has given questionable minutes to each big man this season, which is very concerning for fans.

Coach Malone’s dispersion of minutes throughout the lineup this season has been questionable to say the least.

What has raised many eyebrows is why he has given limited minutes to the front-court. At the beginning of the season, it was Nikola Jokic that Malone wasn’t giving the necessary minutes. This was a highly sensitive topic amongst Nuggets fans given Jokic’s potential and abilities.

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Eventually Nikola Jokic was inserted into the starting lineup once Malone decided to implement the small-ball lineup.

Then, there was the last losing streak. During this time, Malone gave Kenneth Faried very little playing time, which made no sense since he was in a stretch where he was playing extremely well.

Faried eventually found himself back on the floor with his normal minutes dispersion.

Now, Jusuf Nurkic has been not getting the necessary minutes. Granted, Nurkic hasn’t been playing well, but he could have been very useful in the game last night where Deandre Jordan ate Denver alive in the paint.

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    If it was one player not getting many minutes, then it would be safe to assume he hasn’t playing well, or buying into the coach’s plan, but when it’s multiple players getting to the short end of the stick, it makes one wonder if something is going on behind the scenes.

    For whatever reason, it seems as if Malone has a problem with the Nuggets’ core of big men, or it could be part of a crazy rotation we fans don’t know about. Whatever the case may be, Coach Malone needs to figure out what type of rotation will be effective for the entire front-court.

    No one knows why Malone continues to be inconsistent with the minutes for the big men, but it is worth wondering whether something is going on in the locker room between the front-court and him.