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Front Court Depth Chart

You would have a hard time finding a front court as deep as that of the Denver Nuggets. While the starting talent is good, not great, the depth is fantastic. The starting Centre for the Nuggets looks to be the newly acquired Marcin Gortat. Starting for the Wizards in the NBA, Gortat has formed a bond with John Wall on the pick and roll game. We expect to see that cross over into the NLL with the skill sets meshing well. Last year in the NLL in Milwaukee, Gortat averaged 24 minutes per game and had 8.7 reb, and 9 points per game while shooting an astounding 59% from the field. His current ratings show him to be an ace short range shooter, defensive rebounder, and smart defender.

The starter for the power forward position is going to be Derrick Favors. A starter in the NBA for Utah who is really growing in his role for the team, is showing very similar growth in his NLL counterpart. In the NLL last year Favors got plenty of minutes when he was available, averaging 12.3 rebounds and 15.6 points per game. For most of the season he had a 2k rating of 82-83, to start the season we are expecting him to be around 85. Not many players are of his calibre in the league. Where Favors excels is in the post. Expect to see an increase in scoring from Favors as the year kicks off. While he doesn't have the same raw defensive rebounding and defense stats of Gortat, he still has enough to be an above average defender.

The next few players is where is gets interesting for the Nuggets, and more preseason games will need to be seen to determine who is going to be first off the bench to back up the starters. Whether we see Alex Len, Ersan Ilyasova, Zaza Pachulia or JaMychal Green getting the bulk of the minutes is yet to be determined. Each of these players are penciled in to be a potential starter in the NBA, with Ilyasova not having locked it in yet, but when he has been given the opportunity in the NBA preseason to show his worth, has done just that.

Ily in NLL land is a solid 3 point shooter with high hustle, and average defensive skills that will keep him useful off the bench. He also looks to have safe hands, so he will be a low error sub, which is kinda what everyone needs. While he has been shopped over the summer, due to his contract size and how that can fit within the teams free agency plans, no bidders or inquiries have come through, which is a blessing for the team, once details of 2k16 engine and 2k17 ratings came through.

Len will be fighting for minutes in the NBA with Tyson Chandler, but Chandler is already injured, so who knows how that plays out. Lens ratings aren't terribly flattering at the moment. He does have a great reaction time and rebounding skills, but he looks to get lost in the pick and roll on defense and would be lucky to hit a shot that isn't a dunk. The upside to Len is he is still on the rookie scale, so he is given the time to learn.

JaMychal Green may be a name that people don't automatically register as being a starter, but in the NBA, he has displaced ZBo in Memphis. The story goes that it is to let ZBo be a focal point of the back up squad, but its really just about athleticism and the tempo that the Grizz want to run. Green will start deep on the bench, as he is currently rated as an average back up player, but these ratings will develop over the season.

And last but not least for the pack of NBA starters who are filling the bench of the Nuggets, is trading deadline acquisition Zaza Pachulia. In the 26 regular season NLL games last year that Zaza suited up for the Nuggets he shot 63% from the field, 85% from the stripe, coraled 12.1 rebounds and scored 11.2 points per game. If anyone on the bench is pushing for a starting spot, it will be Zaza. With a Draw Foul rating better than John Wall and soft hands around the basket, Zaza may pick up a few 3 point plays. He is also the best rated rebounder of the whole depth chart and a better defender than all but Gortat. He is a low usage guy on a fantastic contract, if the Nuggets can convince him to stay. If he chooses to leave he will be missed, at least until Green and Len start getting some 2k ratings love.

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