Mike Malone said there was “no timeline” for the All-Star guard’s return to the Denver lineup, despite an ESPN report to the contrary.
Denver Nuggets guard Isaiah Thomas, right, plays with his 6-year-old son, Jaiden, before the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz on Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018, in Denver.
Just when we were getting ready to prep The Isaiah Thomas Party Train, Mike Malone reached over and yanked the hand brake.
“Don’t believe everything you read,” the Nuggets coach said early Saturday night before his team took on the Cleveland Cavaliers when asked about a recent ESPN report that pegged Thomas as returning to action in mid-February.
Thomas, who’s recovering from hip surgery last March, tweeted early Thursday morning the comment “25 days,” which hinted at perhaps a quicker return than had been projected. That tweet, which was summarily deleted, was followed by a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarski on Friday indicating that Thomas, a two-time All-Star, could return as soon as a Feb. 11 home date against Miami or a Feb. 13 visit from Sacramento.
Despite the fact that the injury bug has been almost as much a constant as winning in the Nuggets’ locker room the last three months, over the first half of the season, Malone had used only eight different starting lineups through 44 games — tied with Utah, Dallas and Orlando for the eighth-fewest alignment shifts in the NBA.
“Once you understand your role, accept it, embrace it, and be the best you can at your role, that’s what creates chemistry,” forward Torrey Craig said of the Nuggets’ lineups. “Guys are NBA players; We all know what we need to do. We know what we have (got) in this team and guys know what they need to do, so I don’t think chemistry is going to be that big of a problem.
If the hoops fates are kind, Malone is on a pace for 15 different starting lineups, which would be the fewest for a Nuggets’ regular season since 2012-13, when then-coach George Karl used only 10. That Nuggets side was also the last to win at least 50 games in a season (57-25, .695), a pace that the current squad (30-14 as of Saturday afternoon, .682) could match or surpass.
Chemistry can be a fickle mistress. But there’s something to be said for a little constancy, too: The teams with the eight best records in each conference through Saturday morning had averaged just 9.8 different starting lineups so far this season. The clubs with the seven worst records in each conference averaged 11.1 different sets of starters this winter.
Malone’s most successful starting five before Saturday night was also one of his most frequent: An opening lineup of Craig, Juancho Hernangomez, Jokic, Jamal Murray and center Mason Plumee had started 11 contests, winning nine (.818). The only other starting five to open 11 games was Craig-Paul Milsap-Jokic-Harris-Murray, which had a mark of 7-4 (.636). Before the Cavs game, the Nuggets had only featured a starting five of Will Barton-Milsap-Jokic-Harris-Murray twice this season, winning both contests in which it was featured.