2021–22 Denver Nuggets season
2021–22 NBA season by team
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The 2021–22 Denver Nuggets season was the 46th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the franchise's 55th season of existence overall. The Nuggets entered the season after a second-round loss at the hands of the eventual Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns.[1] They finished the season 48–34. Still, they lost to the eventual champion Golden State Warriors in five games in the first round.[2] The two teams previously met in the first round of the 2013 playoffs in which the Warriors defeated the Nuggets in six games. Nikola Jokić was awarded the NBA MVP Award for the second consecutive season.[3]
| 2021–22 Denver Nuggets season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Michael Malone |
| President | Tim Connelly |
| General manager | Calvin Booth |
| Owners | Ann Walton Kroenke |
| Arena | Ball Arena |
| Results | |
| Record | 48–34 (.585) |
| Place | Division: 2nd (Northwest) Conference: 6th (Western) |
| Playoff finish | First round (lost to Warriors 1–4) |
Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Local media | |
| Television | Altitude Sports and Entertainment |
| Radio | KKSE |
Injuries marred the team as it missed two of its young core stars.[4] Jamal Murray was rumored to return from his torn ACL suffered the previous April but sat out the entire campaign, while Michael Porter Jr. would appear in only nine games before needing surgery again on his back in November.[5] Porter Jr. was set to be the secondary scoring option to Jokić in the absence of Murray.[6] The absences of Murray and Porter led to the team having to rely on increased production from Aaron Gordon and Will Barton.[7]
Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School / club team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 | Nah'Shon Hyland | PG/SG |  United States |
VCU (So.) |
The Nuggets owned one first-round pick in the draft, having their second-round pick traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder via the Philadelphia 76ers and Golden State Warriors.[8]
Roster
| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
Roster |
Standings
Division
| Northwest Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y – Utah Jazz | 49 | 33 | .598 | – | 29–12 | 20–21 | 15–1 | 82 |
| x – Denver Nuggets | 48 | 34 | .585 | 1.0 | 23–18 | 25–16 | 6–10 | 82 |
| x – Minnesota Timberwolves | 46 | 36 | .561 | 3.0 | 26–15 | 20–21 | 12–4 | 82 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 27 | 55 | .329 | 22.0 | 17–24 | 10–31 | 1–15 | 82 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | 24 | 58 | .293 | 25.0 | 12–29 | 12–29 | 6–10 | 82 |
Conference
| Western Conference | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | GP |
| 1 | z – Phoenix Suns * | 64 | 18 | .780 | – | 82 |
| 2 | y – Memphis Grizzlies * | 56 | 26 | .683 | 8.0 | 82 |
| 3 | x – Golden State Warriors | 53 | 29 | .646 | 11.0 | 82 |
| 4 | x – Dallas Mavericks | 52 | 30 | .634 | 12.0 | 82 |
| 5 | y – Utah Jazz * | 49 | 33 | .598 | 15.0 | 82 |
| 6 | x – Denver Nuggets | 48 | 34 | .585 | 16.0 | 82 |
| 7 | x – Minnesota Timberwolves | 46 | 36 | .561 | 18.0 | 82 |
| 8 | pi – Los Angeles Clippers | 42 | 40 | .512 | 22.0 | 82 |
| 9 | x – New Orleans Pelicans | 36 | 46 | .439 | 28.0 | 82 |
| 10 | pi − San Antonio Spurs | 34 | 48 | .415 | 30.0 | 82 |
| 11 | Los Angeles Lakers | 33 | 49 | .402 | 31.0 | 82 |
| 12 | Sacramento Kings | 30 | 52 | .366 | 34.0 | 82 |
| 13 | Portland Trail Blazers | 27 | 55 | .329 | 37.0 | 82 |
| 14 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 24 | 58 | .293 | 40.0 | 82 |
| 15 | Houston Rockets | 20 | 62 | .244 | 44.0 | 82 |
Game log
Preseason
| 2021 preseason game log Total: 1–4 (home: 0–3; road: 1–1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Preseason: 1–4 (home: 0–3; road: 1–1)
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| 2021–22 preseason schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Regular season
| 2021–22 game log Total: 48–34 (home: 23–18; road: 25–16) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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October: 4–2 (home: 2–1; road: 2–1)
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November: 6–8 (home: 5–3; road: 1–5)
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December: 7–6 (home: 1–2; road: 6–4)
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January: 11–5 (home: 5–3; road: 6–2)
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February: 8–4 (home: 4–1; road: 4–3)
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March: 10–6 (home: 5–5; road: 5–1)
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April: 2–3 (home: 1–3; road: 1–0)
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| 2021–22 season schedule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playoffs
| 2022 playoff game log Total: 1–4 (home: 1–1; road: 0–3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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First Round: 1–4 (home: 1–1; road: 0–3)
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Player statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
Regular season
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Will Barton | 71 | 71 | 32.1 | .438 | .365 | .803 | 4.8 | 3.9 | .8 | .4 | 14.7 |
| Bol Bol | 14 | 0 | 5.8 | .556 | .250 | .400 | 1.4 | .4 | .1 | .1 | 2.4 |
| Facundo Campazzo | 65 | 4 | 18.2 | .361 | .301 | .769 | 1.8 | 3.4 | 1.0 | .4 | 5.1 |
| Vlatko Čančar | 15 | 1 | 11.7 | .561 | .583 | .643 | 2.1 | 1.1 | .1 | .2 | 4.1 |
| Petr Cornelie | 13 | 0 | 2.9 | .333 | .125 | .750 | 1.1 | .2 | .1 | .1 | 1.1 |
| DeMarcus Cousins | 31 | 2 | 13.9 | .456 | .324 | .736 | 5.5 | 1.7 | .6 | .4 | 8.9 |
| PJ Dozier | 18 | 0 | 18.9 | .364 | .313 | .769 | 3.5 | 1.6 | .6 | .3 | 5.4 |
| James Ennis III | 3 | 0 | 4.7 | .333 | .000 | .000 | .7 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | 1.3 |
| Bryn Forbes | 35 | 1 | 17.4 | .424 | .410 | .921 | .9 | 1.0 | .2 | .1 | 8.6 |
| Aaron Gordon | 75 | 75 | 31.7 | .520 | .335 | .743 | 5.9 | 2.5 | .6 | .6 | 15.0 |
| JaMychal Green | 67 | 8 | 16.2 | .486 | .266 | .871 | 4.2 | .9 | .6 | .4 | 6.4 |
| Jeff Green | 75 | 63 | 24.7 | .524 | .315 | .833 | 3.1 | 1.3 | .4 | .4 | 10.3 |
| Markus Howard | 31 | 0 | 5.7 | .386 | .400 | .870 | .4 | .2 | .3 | .0 | 4.1 |
| Bones Hyland | 69 | 4 | 19.0 | .403 | .366 | .856 | 2.7 | 2.8 | .6 | .3 | 10.1 |
| Nikola Jokić | 74 | 74 | 33.5 | .583 | .337 | .810 | 13.8 | 7.9 | 1.5 | .9 | 27.1 |
| Carlik Jones | 2 | 0 | 2.0 | .500 | .000 | .000 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 1.0 |
| Monté Morris | 75 | 74 | 29.9 | .484 | .395 | .869 | 3.0 | 4.4 | .7 | .2 | 12.6 |
| Zeke Nnaji | 41 | 1 | 17.0 | .516 | .463 | .631 | 3.6 | .4 | .4 | .3 | 6.6 |
| Michael Porter Jr. | 9 | 9 | 29.4 | .359 | .208 | .556 | 6.6 | 1.9 | 1.1 | .2 | 9.9 |
| Davon Reed | 48 | 5 | 13.9 | .503 | .430 | .667 | 2.3 | 1.1 | .5 | .2 | 4.4 |
| Austin Rivers | 67 | 18 | 22.1 | .417 | .342 | .727 | 1.7 | 1.3 | .8 | .1 | 6.0 |
| Rayjon Tucker | 3 | 0 | 9.7 | .500 | .000 | .750 | 1.3 | 1.3 | .3 | .0 | 2.0 |
Playoffs
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Will Barton | 5 | 5 | 34.4 | .409 | .393 | .667 | 5.6 | 2.8 | .8 | .2 | 13.8 |
| Facundo Campazzo | 4 | 0 | 3.3 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .8 | .5 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
| Vlatko Čančar | 2 | 0 | 4.5 | .667 | .500 | .000 | 1.0 | .5 | .0 | .0 | 2.5 |
| DeMarcus Cousins | 5 | 0 | 11.4 | .655 | .667 | .733 | 3.4 | 1.2 | .6 | .2 | 10.6 |
| Bryn Forbes | 5 | 0 | 15.2 | .400 | .364 | .800 | .6 | 1.4 | .2 | .0 | 4.0 |
| Aaron Gordon | 5 | 5 | 32.0 | .426 | .200 | .714 | 7.2 | 2.6 | .4 | 1.2 | 13.8 |
| JaMychal Green | 5 | 0 | 13.8 | .375 | .200 | 1.000 | 2.4 | .4 | .0 | .2 | 4.0 |
| Jeff Green | 5 | 5 | 22.6 | .353 | .375 | .800 | 3.6 | .4 | .6 | .4 | 3.8 |
| Bones Hyland | 5 | 0 | 17.4 | .361 | .348 | .857 | 2.0 | 3.2 | .2 | .0 | 9.2 |
| Nikola Jokić | 5 | 5 | 34.2 | .575 | .278 | .848 | 13.2 | 5.8 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 31.0 |
| Monté Morris | 5 | 5 | 31.2 | .490 | .423 | .750 | 2.2 | 5.4 | 1.2 | .0 | 14.0 |
| Zeke Nnaji | 2 | 0 | 4.5 | 1.000 | 1.000 | .000 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 1.5 |
| Austin Rivers | 5 | 0 | 21.6 | .444 | .333 | 1.000 | .6 | 1.2 | 1.4 | .2 | 4.2 |
Transactions
Overview
| Players Added Via draft Via trade Via free agency |
Players Lost Via trade Via free agency Waived |
Trades
| January 19, 2022[11] | Three-team trade | |
To Denver Nuggets
|
To Boston Celtics | |
To San Antonio Spurs
| ||
Failed Bol Bol trade
On 10 January 2022, the Nuggets attempted to trade Bol Bol and draft compensation to the Detroit Pistons for Rodney McGruder.[12][13] The trade unraveled three days later, however, as Bol failed his physical examination. Thereafter, the transaction was voided; Bol and McGruder stayed with their respective teams.[14] On 19 January, the Nuggets traded Bol again (along with PJ Dozier), this time to the Boston Celtics, as part of a three-team deal.[15]
Free agency
Re-signed
| Date | Player | Contract terms | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 11, 2021 | Will Barton | 2 Years, $30 million | [16] |
| August 15, 2021 | Markus Howard | Two-way contract | [17] |
| August 19, 2021 | JaMychal Green | 2 Years, $16.4 million 2022-23 Player Option | [18] |
| September 1, 2021 | Austin Rivers | 1 Year, $2.4 million | [19] |
| September 28, 2021 | Aaron Gordon | 4 Years, $87 million | [20] |
| September 29, 2021 | Michael Porter Jr. | 5 Years, $172 million Max Extension | [21] |
Additions
| Date | Player | Contract terms | Former team | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 12, 2021 | Jeff Green | 2 Years, $9 million 2022–23 Player Option | Brooklyn Nets | [22] |
| September 17, 2021 | Petr Cornelie | Two-way contract |  Élan Béarnais | [23] |
| December 4, 2021 December 19, 2021 December 30, 2021 January 9, 2022 | Davon Reed | 10-day contract 10-day contract 10-day contract Two-way contract | Grand Rapids Gold | [24] [25] [26] [27] |
| December 31, 2021 | Rayjon Tucker | 10-day contract | Minnesota Timberwolves | [28] |
| January 1, 2022 | Carlik Jones | 10-day contract | Dallas Mavericks | [29] |
| January 10, 2022 | James Ennis III | 10-day contract | Los Angeles Clippers | [30] |
| January 21, 2022 | DeMarcus Cousins | 10-day contract | Milwaukee Bucks | [31] |
Subtractions
| Date | Player | Reason | New team | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 16, 2021 | JaVale McGee | Free Agency | Phoenix Suns | [32] |
| September 10, 2021 | Paul Millsap | Free Agency | Brooklyn Nets | [33] |
| September 27, 2021 | Shaquille Harrison | Free Agency | Philadelphia 76ers | [34] |
| January 9, 2022 | Petr Cornelie | Waived | Grand Rapids Gold | [27] |
| January 11, 2022 | Rayjon Tucker | Free Agency | Wisconsin Herd | [35] |
| Carlik Jones | Free Agency | Texas Legends | [35] | |
| January 21, 2022 | James Ennis III | Free Agency |  Hapoel Haifa |
See also
Notes
- Spectators were in attendance, but the exact number was not reported.
