Why bring in Campazzo?
Q: Still trying to figure out why the Nuggets made such a push to sign Facundo Campazzo. He’s a third-string, little-used point guard and the team had greater needs elsewhere. Yeah, he hustles and is scrappy, but seems like it’s a waste of money.
Bob Osborne, Westminster
Mike: Hmm, where do I begin? In light of backcourt injuries to Gary Harris, Monte Morris, PJ Dozier and the perpetually sore Jamal Murray, Campazzo has been a lifesaver for the Nuggets. In his last three games alone, he’s averaged about 15 points and four assists in 30 minutes per game.
But more than his recent production, you might have noticed a disturbing trend with the Nuggets. They tend to relax, sometimes after building a big lead or other times when the offense bogs down.
Recently, Campazzo has been the antidote to those debilitating stretches. He plays with his hair on fire, his energy on defense translating to an unselfish approach on offense. It’s who he is. Even when he was struggling to adapt to the
NBA throughout December and January, you could never say he wasn’t playing hard.
Q: For the first time ever, there’s real discussion about wasting Nikola Jokic’s prime which he is definitely in right now. I think it’s safe to say our team got worse this past offseason depth-wise and our hopes of Bubble Murray being here to stay and Michel Porter Jr. taking a big jump aren’t looking so hot. How patient can this team be before we try and make a big move?
Steve Nanino, Denver
Mike: This may be the most essential question the Nuggets have to ask themselves between now and the March 25 trade deadline. Can they afford to not add help around Jokic in what’s become a historic season? Do they trust Porter’s improvement will be enough?
Are Gary Harris and Will Barton reliable enough wings, both in terms of health and production?
In the Bubble, NBA executives were racking their brains trying to determine how “real” everything that happened in Orlando really was. Were there leaps from certain players or was it a product of the environment? The reason I bring that up is because the same goes for this season. Can Connelly make any rash decisions based on a difficult season with unprecedented circumstances?
The truth is the Nuggets will have to reach conclusions with imperfect information. They’ll have to judge MPJ probably earlier than anyone would want to. They’ll have to assess whether a potential firstround exit was a product of a tough matchup, a need for better defensive help or some combination of roster turnover and the short offseason.
Q: Why did Bol Bol get signed to a fulltime contract to be the 15th man? Couldn’t he have stayed on a two-way and developed in the G League?
@KalebCahalan, via Twitter
Mike: Few Nuggets players had a better offseason than Bol. He worked hard, earned a contract and thought he was going to be part of the regular rotation. Nearly two months into the season, it’s obvious that’s not the case. Even Vlatko Cancar has seemingly jumped Bol in the rotation. Without knowing what’s going on behind the scenes, it’s hard to know his frustration level. But Bol’s trajectory, which is at least two years away from consistent contributor, doesn’t match with Denver’s current timeline. The news of Denver’s imminent G League team might be an option for him next season.