With the injury bug biting hard, the Denver Nuggets have made their first move of the season, bringing up Davon Reed from the G-League.
Reed was signed using the hardship exception according to Shams Charania, The Athletic and was averaging 15 points per game in seven games for the Grand Rapids Gold.
He had last played in the NBA for the Indiana Pacers in the 2018-19 season but failed to stick. His debut performance for the Denver Nuggets was a promising one and he even won the Defensive Player of the Game chain, an award given to a Denver player by the coaches after each game.
Davon Reed finished the game with nine points, four assists, two steals, and one block. He played 24 minutes off the bench and looked extremely capable with the ball in his hands, a lot of the assists he racked up were off mature drive-and-kicks.
In the above play, Reed draws in a second defender before kicking the ball to an open man in the corner.
Zeke Nnaji was rolling against the New York Knicks, scoring 21 points, making five 3-pointers and being the beneficiary for many of Reed’s passes. But for more on that, check out Geoff Graser’s three big takeaways from the win.
The Denver Nuggets had to make a move, whether it be internal or external, as Michael Malone is quickly losing firepower with the season-ending back surgery to Michael Porter Jr. adding him to a long list of injured players.
But one of the more impressive parts of Reed’s performance was his defensive versatility. At 6’5″, his best defensive position is at the two-guard or on the wing, but he showed off his quick hands when being switched onto bigger players.
It’s an outstanding outcome in the above clip that a driving Immanuel Quickley can only turn the ball over against Facundo Camapazzo and the smaller Reed defending the drop off pass.
Pair Reed’s quick hands with the defensive versatility of Nnaji, JaMychal Green, and Jeff Green and this Nuggets unit might quickly find itself a strong defensive identity.
In the clip below, Reed recognizes that the 3-point line is covered and helps over on Obi Toppin enough to get a steal:
The other options in Reed’s spot right now are Bones Hyland and Austin Rivers, both of who are out due to the Health & Safety protocols. Bones has the upside as a rookie, but there’s no reason why Reed and his defense couldn’t see him jump Rivers in the rotation.
Without MPJ or Jamal Murray, this Denver Nuggets team isn’t going to be as elite as it can be on offense. This move might be a signal that Tim Connelly agrees and is leaning into defense for this season.
Nikola Jokic is having an all-time season on the defensive end, the Denver Nuggets are currently third in opponents points per game, and personnel might be forcing Michael Malone’s hand here.
Let’s see if Davon Reed can string some solid performances together and solidify his role in the Nuggets roster.
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December 06, 2021 at 10:00PM
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Is Davon Reed just what the Denver Nuggets need? - Nugg Love
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