The Nuggets Finally Remember What a Starting Lineup Looks Like
Lineup alert: Nuggets will start Murray, Braun, Johnson, Gordon, Jokic on Wednesday. (Underdog NBA)
For the first time in what feels like a month, the are rolling out a starting five that actually looks like a professional basketball team instead of a random collection of guys who won a radio contest.
According to Underdog NBA, Denver is officially starting , Christian Braun, Johnson, Aaron Gordon, and on Wednesday night against the Toronto Raptors.
If you have spent the last two weeks trying to handicap Denver's rotation, this news is a massive relief. Prop bettors and daily fantasy managers can finally project normal minutes without guessing which end-of-bench forward is about to randomly log a 35-minute cardio session.
Getting this specific group on the floor together is a minor miracle given the recent state of their medical report. Gordon has been battling a right hamstring strain, while Braun has been nursing a left ankle sprain that turned the wing rotation into a nightly guessing game.
When the main guys actually play, the results are exactly what you expect. Murray is currently cooking defenders, dropping 35 points on Monday and averaging over 25 points a night to keep the offense humming.
You do not need an advanced analytics degree to know that giving Jokic his actual starting wings and a healthy Murray is a wrap for most opponents. It is like handing the keys of a sports car back to a professional driver after forcing him to commute on a rusted bicycle for a week.
Denver will take this fully operational lineup into Wednesday's matchup against Toronto. If this starting five can actually stay off the injury report for more than 48 hours, the are primed to remind everyone exactly who runs the West.