The Denver Nuggets have done quite well this season. After a disappointing end to last season, the Nuggets look as though they are once again, a top team in the Western Conference. At 26-11 Denver has slid into the second seed in the West as we near the All-Star break.
After a tough start, Nikola Jokic is playing at a superstar level again, and as a team, Denver has the fifth-best defense in the league in terms of points allowed per game. However, the team isn't perfect. They're still quite a bit behind the Los Angeles Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks in the standings and teams like the Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets and Utah Jazz are right at their heels.
If the Nuggets want to make the jump towards being a true contender, they'll need to try and fix one of their biggest weaknesses: three-point shooting. As it stands now, Jerami Grant, Paul Milsap and Malik Beasley are the only three players to make more than 39 percent of their threes (on more than two attempts per game).
One of the best ways to fix the team's outside shooting woes is to obviously inject shooting talent into the lineup and what better way to do that than adding J.J. Reddick. Reddick has been an elite shooter since he entered the league in 2006.
This season for the New Orleans Pelicans, Reddick is averaging 15.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting an impressive 46.4 percent from deep. Among players that shoot more than six three-pointers a game, no one does it more efficiently than Reddick.
The Nuggets rank 25th in the league in three-pointers made per game so Reddick's appeal is obvious. Reddick can be a starter or come off the bench. The veteran guard would give Denver a huge boost and provides a much better offense than Gary Harris or Will Barton at the two-guard spot.
Now, Reddick is 35 years old and is no longer a spring chicken. With that being said, the former Duke star has found a way to stay effective and efficient. With Millsap being the only Nugget over 30, Reddick would give Denver another veteran presence in the locker room.
Reddick could also help the Nuggets with their playoff woes. Reddick has been to the playoffs every single year of his career. If he stays in New Orleans, that streak is pretty unlikely to continue. A move to Denver would help keep that accomplishment alive while giving head coach Mike Malone a savvy veteran to lean on and help prepare the team come postseason.
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