Denver Nuggets
2021-22What were the Denver Nuggets in 2021-22, and what needed front-office attention?
DEN 2021-22: no supported structural problem was identified. The strongest covered areas were Interior finishing, Rebounding, Passing connectivity. The main rotation-player dependency cases were Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic, Monte Morris. Structural basketball need, injuries, replacement lineups, and financial constraints are reported separately.
What can be trusted
Supported strengths — production, who carries it, and what money is already committed.Full reading
DEN 2021-22 Interior finishing: this was a team strength; production ranked at the 100.0 league percentile. Aaron Gordon supplied 27.2% of the team's above-replacement production in this area. Availability created or worsened the issue in isolated recent games. Function-level salary allocation was incomplete and is withheld.
Full reading
DEN 2021-22 Rebounding: this was a team strength; production ranked at the 100.0 league percentile. Aaron Gordon supplied 33.2% of the team's above-replacement production in this area. Availability created or worsened the issue in isolated recent games. Function-level salary allocation was incomplete and is withheld.
Full reading
DEN 2021-22 Passing connectivity: this was a team strength; production ranked at the 90.9 league percentile. Nikola Jokic supplied 24.1% of the team's above-replacement production in this area. Availability created or worsened the issue in isolated recent games. Function-level salary allocation was incomplete and is withheld.
What needs attention
The clearest roster problems the evidence supports.No supported roster problems are on record for this season — team picture available; function-level salary mapping incomplete.
Every covered basketball function (11)
| Function | Reading | League percentile | Largest contributor | Recent availability | Salary commitment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creation | SupportedMiddle of the league | 55th percentile | Nikola Jokic · 25.2% | Isolated availability problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Defensive event creation | SupportedMiddle of the league | 36th percentile | Nikola Jokic · 37.6% | Isolated availability problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Interior finishing | SupportedTeam strength | 100th percentile | Aaron Gordon · 27.2% | Isolated availability problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Passing connectivity | SupportedTeam strength | 91st percentile | Nikola Jokic · 24.1% | Isolated availability problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Point-of-attack defense proxy | WithheldBasketball conclusion withheld | — | Monte Morris | Recent availability conclusion withheld | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Rebounding | SupportedTeam strength | 100th percentile | Aaron Gordon · 33.2% | Isolated availability problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Rim pressure | SupportedTeam strength | 82nd percentile | Nikola Jokic · 37.7% | Absences repeatedly created a problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Rim protection | SupportedMiddle of the league | 32nd percentile | Nikola Jokic · 31.3% | Absences repeatedly created a problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Screening | WithheldBasketball conclusion withheld | — | Aaron Gordon | Recent availability conclusion withheld | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Shooting and spacing | SupportedMiddle of the league | 50th percentile | Monte Morris · 28.8% | Absences repeatedly created a problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Switch coverage proxy | WithheldBasketball conclusion withheld | — | Will Barton | Recent availability conclusion withheld | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
Who the team depends on
What disappears when a player is removed — and whether an observed replacement five exists.DEN was highly dependent on Aaron Gordon. Removing him cost about 27.2% of interior finish production, and lineups with him performed 6.9 points per 100 possessions better than lineups without him. The best supported replacement group was [DeMarcus Cousins, Austin Rivers, JaMychal Green, Bryn Forbes, Bones Hyland] over 225 possessions.
Replacement evidence
DeMarcus Cousins · Austin Rivers · JaMychal Green · Bryn Forbes · Bones Hyland
shrunk net 1.591 over 225 possessions — small sample
on floor 4,538 possessions · off floor 2,938 possessions
DEN lineups performed 12.5 points per 100 possessions better with Nikola Jokic than without him. The best supported alternative was [DeMarcus Cousins, Austin Rivers, JaMychal Green, Bryn Forbes, Bones Hyland] over 225 possessions.
Replacement evidence
DeMarcus Cousins · Austin Rivers · JaMychal Green · Bryn Forbes · Bones Hyland
shrunk net 1.591 over 225 possessions — small sample
on floor 4,748 possessions · off floor 2,712 possessions
DEN lineups performed 4.6 points per 100 possessions better with Monte Morris than without him. The best supported alternative was [Jeff Green, Will Barton, Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic, Bones Hyland] over 170 possessions.
Replacement evidence
Jeff Green · Will Barton · Aaron Gordon · Nikola Jokic · Bones Hyland
shrunk net 2.246 over 170 possessions — small sample
on floor 4,294 possessions · off floor 3,162 possessions
Function loss, lineup performance, and replacement-lineup evidence remain separate; none is causal player value.
What injuries change
Recent absences and the basketball needs they created or worsened.Absences repeatedly created a problem
created in 6 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Nikola Jokic
Absences repeatedly created a problem
created in 5 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Monte Morris
Absences repeatedly created a problem
created in 3 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Nikola Jokic
Where money is tied up
Cap position and salary allocation — shown beside the basketball picture, never blended into it.Most salary is mapped to passing connectivity; the highest-need area is rim protection. Salary-to-function mapping covers 74% of charges.
Exact figures
Exact transaction legality withheld — no exception-usage, cap-hold, and transaction ledger evidence.
What the evidence cannot answer
Deliberate abstentions — where the database refuses a conclusion rather than guessing.- Point-of-attack defense proxy: Basketball conclusion withheld
- Screening: Basketball conclusion withheld
- Switch coverage proxy: Basketball conclusion withheld
Exact transaction legality: Exact transaction legality withheld — no exception-usage, cap-hold, and transaction ledger evidence
Team-season situation report. Structural basketball quality, recent availability, player dependence, replacement lineups, and financial position remain separate. No acquisition recommendation, transaction grade, coaching grade, outcome claim, or causal value is inferred.