Tatum has stepped his game up another level this season
We're about 20 games through the 2024-25 CSL season, so what better time than to take a step back and evaluate where the Nuggets are at and where they are headed? At 15-6, the Nuggets boast the best record in the West and second best in the CSL, behind only the talented (and finally organized) Philadelphia 76ers.
Point Guard
John Wall - 18.6 ppg, 8.4 apg, 1.5 spg, 3.0 topg, 53% TS, +1.4 on/off
Sinan Guler - 7.7 ppg, 4.2 apg, 1 spg, 1.9 topg, 58.3% TS, -1.4 on/off
Alex Caruso - 4.6 ppg, 72% TS, +7.5 on/off
The point guard position has been a strong one for us so far, with Wall and Guler being integral parts of our attack on both sides of the ball. They are sharing the ball very well, posting assist rates of 44% and 31%, respectively, and are each stopping around 88% of the drives they have faced. Wall has struggled shooting the ball, but his ability to get to the line has really offset that, and Guler has shot well enough from every range. Caruso has been counted on more as a shooter, and he's doing his job, shooting over 50% from deep on great volume (9 three-point attempts per 36).
Shooting Guard
James Young - 17.4 ppg, 4.3 apg, 4 rpg, 1.2 spg, 53.7% TS, -10.9 on/off
Treveon Graham - 9.1 ppg, 59.2% TS, -1.3 on/off
The on/off numbers look a little strange, but Young splits time between SG/SF pretty evenly and our worst lineups tend to be when Tatum isn't on the court, and that means Young at SF usually. Both of these players have positive On ratings, which may be the more important indicator in this instance anyway. Young asked for an opportunity to prove himself as a starter, and he's done really well, stepping up as the third star on this team. He's shot well from each individual zone of the court, but he's either going to need to get to the basket more or get fouled more to truly step up as someone who can carry the load offensively. His defense and Treveon Graham's defense have both been excellent, stopping 82% and 93% of drives, respectively, and Graham's continued his reign as one of the best 3&D players in the league, shooting 43% from deep and letting it fly whenever he gets the chance.
Small Forward
Jayson Tatum - 23.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.4 spg, 58.6% TS, +6 on/off
Malik Pope - 3.6 ppg, 58.3% TS, -8.6 on/off
Tatum is the star of this team, and is continuing to show why he was drafted 1st overall. On top of his offense taking the step forward into superstar territory, his defense has also improved. He's stopping 85% of drives and forcing more than 2 turnovers per game. There isn't anywhere on the floor he isn't elite in terms of shooting percentage, making it very difficult to guard him as he can get his no matter where you force him to shoot. 7 of our top 10 lineups include Tatum, and that's absolutely no accident.
Power Forward
Tyler Stone - 7.1 ppg, 11.9 rpg, 49.4% TS, 20.9% TRB, +2.7 on/off
Kennedy Meeks - 4.2 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 46.4% TS, 16.6% TRB, +0.8 on/off
Stone has been the perfect 5th starter for us this season. His rebounding has allowed us to be one of the best rebounding teams in the league, and we routinely outrebound our opponents now. His shooting is a little down compared to what it was, and hopefully he can pick his efficiency up a little bit, but as far as what he brings to the team, he's like our Charles Oakley, doing the dirty work and being a good teammate. Meeks has been pretty much a lite version of Stone.
Center
Andre Drummond - 8.7 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.6 bpg, 46.2% TS, 15.6% TRB, 0.92 PA/SF
Dewayne Dedmon - 6.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.4 bpg, 51.2% TS, 13.8% TRB, 0.9 PA/SF
Drummond has unfortunately taken a pretty big step back, both offensively and defensively. He's not the scorer he once was, as it's clear the rule changes have made it harder for him to get shots at the rim, and he's not the rim protecter either, but he's still a fantastic roleplayer and the perfect fit down low for all the firepower we have on the perimeter. His rebound numbers are a little deflated as he's playing alongside Stone, but his ability paired with Stone really allows us to dominate the glass. Dedmon has been a reliable backup center, basically a lite version of Drummond.
Overall, we have been really pleased with our efforts so far this season. Tatum is the big one obviously, but the rest of the team has stepped up and made themselves an integral part of our winning ways. I don't expect to be the #1 seed in the West come playoff time, but I think we have finally made it into the conversation as one of the elite teams in the league.