Nuggets Journal: Austin Rivers approaching season like it’s his “last shot”

SAN DIEGO – Austin Rivers is inactive looking implicit his shoulder.

When you’ve seen the concern extremity of the NBA similar Rivers has – 5 teams since the 2017-’18 play – there’s nary country for complacency. Rivers had been unceremoniously traded from the Knicks past play and past waived by Oklahoma City erstwhile helium recovered himself sitting connected the couch, wondering erstwhile the adjacent telephone would come.

It came, eventually, from Nuggets president of hoops operations Tim Connelly, who’d worked with Rivers successful New Orleans. The cognition of Rivers didn’t lucifer reality, and Connelly knew it. Rivers’ estimation had taken a hit, and helium was forced to reckon with what had gone incorrect during little stops successful Washington and New York.

By the clip Connelly got to him, Rivers was humbled and inactive precise hungry. Decimated by injuries, particularly successful their backcourt, the Nuggets took a accidental connected Rivers. To accidental it paid disconnected would beryllium an understatement. Without Rivers, the Nuggets would’ve been trying to sound disconnected 1 of the champion backcourts successful the NBA – Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum – with Facundo Campazzo and Shaq Harrison. Monte Morris had conscionable returned from injury, and Will Barton, P.J. Dozier and Jamal Murray were each hurt.

“We don’t bushed Portland without Austin Rivers,” Nuggets manager Michael Malone said this week from grooming campy successful notation to his monumental Game 3 performance.

Though the Nuggets got bounced 4-0 by Phoenix successful the 2nd round, Rivers recovered what helium was looking for: a caller declaration and, momentary, stability.

But adjacent though the Nuggets brought him backmost connected a one-year deal, Rivers, 29, doesn’t consciousness arsenic if he’s harmless successful a league that astir abandoned him.

“I’m not immoderate much comfy present than I was a twelvemonth ago,” helium said connected The Denver Post’s Nuggets Ink podcast this week. “I’m inactive treating this similar this is my past shot.”

On Friday afternoon, wrong the University of California San Diego gym, Rivers, Campazzo and rookie Bones Hyland took it to the much seasoned squad during Denver’s intra-squad scrimmage. The three-guard lineup played with gait connected discourtesy and strength connected defense. Rivers played arsenic advertised.

According to Malone helium played fast, made speedy decisions, enactment unit connected the defence and got stops connected the different end. He added helium was talking to his teammates passim the astonishing result.

Will Barton’s injured ankle whitethorn person provided an opening for Rivers to exploit. When the Nuggets unfastened their preseason Monday against the Clippers, there’s a accidental Rivers volition beryllium the team’s starting shooting guard, possibly alongside Morris, Michael Porter Jr., and Aaron Gordon. Nikola Jokic’s presumption is uncertain aft the commencement of his daughter.

If everyone was healthy, Rivers would apt beryllium battling for backup shooting defender minutes. But, arsenic past year’s wounded toll tin attest, Rivers’ worth could beryllium significant. He’s inactive a quick-twitch scoring defender who tin get debased and enactment successful beforehand of his man. And due to the fact that of wherever Rivers has been, there’s nary relation he’s unwilling to play. If helium tin assistance a squad win, successful immoderate capacity, helium said he’s up for it.

“I’m truly thrilled that he’s back,” Malone said. “Obviously, it’s not conscionable his offense. I deliberation Austin is an underrated defender.”