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NBA Free Agency 2018: 5 offseason targets for the Denver Nuggets

By Jerry Christodoulatos

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 11: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves defends against Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets during the game on April 11, 2018 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Nuggets 112-106. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 11: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves defends against Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets during the game on April 11, 2018 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Nuggets 112-106. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /

5. Glenn Robinson III

We didn’t get to see much of Glenn Robinson III last season. Robinson missed about two thirds of the year after undergoing surgery on his left ankle in early October; he suffered an ankle sprain in training camp and ended up having fairly significant ligament damage as a result. In 2017 though, GRIII carved out a rotation spot with the Pacers after rarely seeing the floor in his first two NBA seasons.

For the Nuggets, the primary skill that Robinson would bring to the table is defensive intensity. He’s not some kind of lockdown presence on that end, but his long arms and solid frame give him the ability to guard most twos and threes.  Given the regression of Wilson Chandler, Robinson would be the best wing defender on the team the moment that they signed him. Adding a guy like GRIII wouldn’t solve Denver’s wing defense issues, but that kind of move would represent a step in the right direction.

Robinson’s abilities on the offensive side of the ball are still somewhat of a mystery. That’s not exactly an encouraging sign for a four year pro, but he has shown some flashes of promise. GRIII has shot the ball well from deep over the past three years, flirting with a 40% conversion rate. He’s only averaged 1.4 attempts per game in that span though. That’s too small a sample to sort out the signal from the noise. In addition, he hasn’t really shown much competence attacking off the dribble. Robinson is thus reliant on other to create offense for him. In the Denver ecosystem, his limitations shouldn’t be much of an issue though.

Given his recent injury and some clear flaws, Robinson should be available on the cheap this summer. GRIII is probably not going to be a starter level player any time soon, but taking a flyer on him would be a reasonable venture; he can absorb minutes on the wing and the possibility of him turning into legit 3-and-D guy (as slight as it may be) is worth the risk.

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