Should Nuggets replace MPJ in starting lineup with Brown?
MARK KISZLA, SPORTS COLUMNIST
The championship series is a bad place to have a crisis of confidence, and Nuggets coach Michael Malone clearly doesn’t trust Michael Porter Jr. Rather than assign blame for this uneasy relationship, I’d like to focus on how to beat the Heat. Miami coach Erik Spoelstra adjusted his lineup before Game 2. Is Malone willing to do the same? I know Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth thinks Bruce Brown is too small to take major minutes away from MPJ. But if Miami is hurting Denver from the perimeter with off-ball screens and 3-point shots, having Brown on the floor makes more sense, especially when Porter is clanking jumpers. Would benching MPJ wreck a fragile relationship with Malone? I don’t know. But I feel confident about this: Malone can be proactive, or he could wait until Denver loses Game 3, then have no choice but to shake things up.
BENNETT DURANDO, SPORTS REPORTER
Too early for that. Game 1 was proof that Porter can be a winning asset even when he’s slinging bricks. Yes, he’s inconsistent, and yes, it sure sounded like Michael Malone’s pointed postgame comments about effort were directed partially toward Porter. But to yank a max contract player from the starting lineup after he registered a double-double in one of the first two games would be a far bigger panic signal than Spoelstra applying Kevin Love. Now, I was surprised that Porter played more of the fourth quarter than Brown did on Sunday, given the trajectory of that game. If Malone opts for a closing lineup without MPJ, I think that’s fair game. He’s done it in these playoffs.
But Denver needs Porter to be confident; abandoning hope in him as a starter in a 1-1 series could make things worse when he’s on the floor.
MIKE SINGER, NUGGETS BEAT WRITER
I wouldn’t be making that switch quite yet. Miami shot 48% from 3-point range in Game 2. The discrepancy is exacerbated when Porter misses the shots he’s supposed to make. So far this Finals, he’s 3-for-17 from deep. The bigger problem is when his defensive lapses are leading to uncontested looks on the other end. If you’re MPJ, you can’t be a negative on both ends. In starting Bruce, you’d concede the immense size advantage you have over the Heat, but if Porter’s not going to exploit that advantage, how valuable is it really? Don’t forget: Starting the game is one thing. Closing it is a completely different story. Malone has shown little hesitation in going a different direction when the situation calls for it.
SEAN KEELER, SPORTS COLUMNIST
That’s a panic button, and I’m not sure we’re quite there … yet. Brown can act as a point guard for that second unit/lineup/configuration, whatever you want to call it, especially that “smaller” group that worked so well for spells against Minnesota early in the playoffs and against Miami on Sunday night. Why mess with success? MPJ might provide instant offense on your NBA 2K console, but in real life, his off-the-bench numbers drop: 18.1 points per 31 minutes, 50.9% shooting and 119 offensive rating as a starter vs. 16.5 points per 31 minutes, 49% shooting and 111 offensive rating as a reserve. I mean, if you think it sends a message, fine. But it could also be sending the wrong one.