The 2022-23 season has been a very good one so far for the Denver Nuggets.
They hold the best record in the Western Conference at 24-13, and with the Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns and the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors, the three preseason favorites in the West, all struggling, they may be the best team in the conference.
But they are weak defensively, and they could use an upgrade defensively at the wing position, especially given how injury-prone Michael Porter Jr. seems to be.
These two wings could help give Denver that missing ingredient it needs to reach the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise injury.
Kyle Anderson
Anderson may be nicknamed “Slo Mo” for the slow release on his jumper, but his jumper is pretty accurate, as he is shooting 41.7 percent from 3-point range this season.
But perhaps more importantly for the Nuggets, he is 6-foot-9 and 230 pounds, can play both forward positions and is considered an above-average defender.
He may not get the opportunity to start if he were to be traded to the Nuggets, but head coach Michael Malone would likely make him an integral part of his rotation.
As a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Anderson played against the Nuggets on Monday and dropped 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 from downtown along with eight assists and three steals.
Alex Caruso
Caruso has a reputation as an elite or near-elite defender, and this season, he is hitting from the outside by converting on 39.4 percent of his 3-point attempts.
AC now has a steal in 12 straight games 🍪@ACFresh21 | @NBCSBulls pic.twitter.com/oaQjN0ZCCR
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 3, 2023
He is someone who always plays at 100 miles per hour and will sacrifice his body to go after loose balls, and he also has the resourcefulness to know how to play off a superstar like Nikola Jokic on offense.
Caruso also has championship experience, as he played on the 2020 world champion Los Angeles Lakers, and while there, he was also a teammate of Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
With a 16-21 record, it is rumored that Caruso’s team, the Chicago Bulls, may be willing to have a fire sale, and if they do, Denver needs to take advantage.
