Did the Nuggets improve their backup center spot in the offseason?
The Denver Nuggets have made minor changes in the offseason after losing in the first round of the playoffs in six games to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Denver went into the offseason with "everything short of trading Nikola Jokic" being on the table, but thus far, they have kept the core team together that finished third in the Western Conference last season.
One big move they did make was letting Jonas Valanciunas head back overseas to play for Žalgiris Kaunas of the Lithuanian Basketball League. Valanciunas nearly joined Panathinaikos last offseason before deciding to remain with the Nuggets after they traded for him from the Sacramento Kings.
Replacing Valanciunas will be Marvin Bagley, who signed a one-year, $2.4 million deal to join the team as a free agent.
An Upgrade Behind Jokic
Speaking to Keith Smith of Spotrac, a Nuggets executive said about Bagley, “Definitely a different look from Jonas to Marvin. But we think it’s a more athletic presence behind Nikola (Jokic) and that’s a good thing. And they can probably play together too, if we need them too.”
Valanciunas averaged 8.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 65 games with the Nuggets last season, playing 13.4 minutes per game. In the playoffs, he barely saw the court, appearing in four of Denver's six games, but playing less than seven minutes a game.
He was similar to Jokic in that he provided size, screening, and rebounding, but was slow on the defensive end and didn't stretch the floor.
Bagley averaged 10.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 60 games between the Mavericks and Wizards, starting in only 12 contests, but playing 20 minutes a night.
Expectations For Bagley
The Nuggets executive is correct in saying that Bagley is a more athletic option than Valanciunas. Bagley can play above the rim and offer rim protection that Valanciunas wasn't able to provide unless players were going into him.
The idea of Jokic and Bagley playing together is also promising, as it rarely happened with Jokic and Valanciunas. The latter played just 43 minutes together last season.
Bagley offers more spacing for Jokic with his ability to attack off the catch and three-point threat. He took fewer than two attempts per game with the Mavericks, but did shoot 48% from three. Defenses will likely force him to prove he can hit that shot more consistently on increased volume, but if he can, that opens things up for Denver with him and Jokic on the floor.
It also gives Denver a safety valve in case Aaron Gordon is once again battling injury issues.
It wasn't the biggest move of the offseason, but it's one that should serve Denver well over the course of the season.
