Denver Nuggets: 3 Franchise Highlights for 2018

Denver Nuggets (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Pictured above: Mase tells D Harris his hair looks stupid.

Mason Plumlee came to the Nuggets from Duke University by way of the Portland Trailblazers. It’s been one of the better moves made by the Nuggets front office as Plumlee has blossomed into an incredibly valuable player for the Nuggets.

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He has all of the prerequisite drive and size.  He has nearly the perfect attitude. What separates Mason is his athleticism. A 7-footer with a 36″ vertical can be a menacing presence on defense and Plumlee hasn’t disappointed on that side of the floor.

That isn’t to say he isn’t appreciated on the offensive side, Plumlee has a strong, if awkward post-game and is a gifted passer.  His size and feel make him an outstanding offensive rebounder.  Mase averages 2.2 offensive boards per game in just 19 minutes.  For comparison, teammate Nikola Jokic, a fantastic offensive rebounder averages 2.6 in 30 minutes per game.

It’s little things that are stamped all over Plumlee’s game.  He gets on the floor, he takes jump balls, he’s working on free throws (though he’s at a career low).  He works really hard and his energy is infectious on the second-team.  Circumstances have Plumlee starting alongside Jokic, currently, a role in which Plumlee is playing well. His value however is in what he brings to that second squad. With word that Paul Millsap and Gary Harris have returned to practice, it may not be long before we see Plumlee and this next Nugget running teams ragged with their unit: