It was a bleak scene for the Nuggets on Monday night, as they fell again at home for the fourth time in a row, losing 131-121 to the Mavericks. But at least there was a significant silver lining as two-way player Spencer Jones put forth the best game of his career, putting up 28 points and 5 rebounds.
Jones has earned time as a defensive ace and a big wing who can help out inside and out and crash the glass as well. But on Monday night, he stepped up with an offensive display unlike anything we’ve seen, hitting 11-15 shots from the floor and burying 4-6 three-point attempts.
This is an incredible revelation for the Nuggets, and if Jones is finding his shot and his confidence on offense, this could be a total game-changer. With Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon injured, the Nuggets badly need players to rise to the occasion, and that’s exactly what Jones is doing.
The opportunity is there for the taking, and Jones is making it hard for David Adelman to keep him off the floor. With two key starters missing who contribute on both ends, Denver needs help on the defensive end, but they really need guys to pitch in on both ends. Nobody is expecting 28 points a night, but if Jones can do that consistently, there’s a real path to minutes for him.
Jones could earn bigger role when team is fully healthy
But the path could lead to Jones getting a legitimate shot even once everyone is healthy. Adelman is still figuring out his lineups and rotations, determining which players, especially off the bench, can be trusted.
Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, but big wings who can defend and knock down threes will always have a place in the league. Jones is trying to prove that he can fill that role, and doing so on a contender will only endear him to the organization even more.
It’s championship or bust in Denver this year, and for the foreseeable future. Whoever can rise to the occasion and earn minutes is who the staff is going to play. Nothing is guaranteed beyond the stars on this team, and though there are plenty of veterans with more pedigree than Jones, they are going to have to prove they deserve to play over him going forward.
So while Monday’s result was incredibly disappointing for a number of reasons, that will all quickly be forgotten if this marks the start of Jones forcefully shoving his way into the permanent rotation.