Denver Nuggets top 3 wing defenders: Vlatko Cancar, Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr.
Average DBPM: -0.5
As with any statistic, it’s worth noting that DBPM is not infallible. Having said that, Aaron Gordon’s -0.5 mark feels like it might be a little noisy. After all, Gordon is a 6’9 forward with solid lateral mobility, quick instincts and a jump-out-of-the-gym vertical leap. His reputation also suggests that he’s a positive on the defensive end.
Nonetheless, we can only work with the numbers, so we’re trusting them not to lie. Furthermore, Gordon might be the least wing-like player on this list: last season, he spent 89% of his minutes at the power forward position. Still, the 11% he spent at small forward forced us to qualify him here.
Perhaps the Denver Nuggets are “a wing short”.
On the defensive end, it’s not a difficult case to make: Vlatko Cancar had this wing rotation’ highest DBPM at -0.1. That’s a passable figure, but nonetheless, the Nuggets were one of two of the five best teams in the NBA last season not to roster a plus defensive wing.
Michael Porter Jr. has more offensive talent than any player to suit up at small forward for the Utah Jazz in 2020-21. In fact, the Nuggets, when healthy, host the league’s MVP and a cadre of talented players deep enough to challenge Utah’s regular season supremacy.
Nonetheless, tell a Nuggets fan that the Utah Jazz are short one defensive wing, and they might respond like a friend of Jeff Bezos listening to him complain about tax brackets.