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With injuries ravaging the Denver Nuggets throughout the 2021-22 season, a number of players had to step into larger roles than what they or the team had planned for. And perhaps no player had a greater undertaking due to injury than point guard Monte Morris.

For the first four seasons of his career, Morris routinely averaged between 22 and 25 minutes per game. He never once averaged more than nine shot attempts or three three-point attempts per game. His second season saw his highest point average with 10.4.

But this year, he got nearly 30 minutes per night, over 10 shot attempts -- nearly five of them from three -- and scored more than he's ever scored in the NBA. The injury to Jamal Murray forced him to be a full-time starter, a role that the Nuggets did not intend on him playing.

However, the pressure of being a starting point guard for a playoff team -- after being a reserve for four seasons -- never seemed to faze Morris. Instead, he gave the Nuggets heart and hustle every night, building confidence throughout the campaign.

Now, as Murray gears up to eventually return, the Nuggets know they have a strong backup who's capable of taking over a game if the moment demands.

With the knowledge of Murray's injury, Morris began the year as the Nuggets' starting point guard. It was a show of faith from the coaching staff that their second round draft pick from 2017 was ready for the next step in his career.

As it would be the case for any player undergoing a massive role change, though, Morris struggles out of the gates. He failed to reach double figures in six of his first 12 games, shooting just 30.4% from three in that span.

But those 12 games were all it would take for the Nuggets' guard to heat up. Over his next 20 games, Morris shot a scorching 41.8% from three, averaging 13.9 points and 4.5 assists and reaching double figures 17 times.

Within that stretch was a 22-point, six-rebound, five-assist performance that served as one of the most complete of Morris' season. In a six-point win over the Washington Wizards, he was a plus-13, signaling the impact he had on Dec. 13.

After missing three games at the end of 2021, Morris returned to his season-high in three pointers made, going 5-of-9 for 20 points against the Utah Jazz. Despite it being a losing effort, Morris was one of just two Nuggets players to have a positive plus-minus, leading the team with a plus-3.

From there until the end of the regular season, Morris was a model of consistency. he shot 40.7% from three over his last 43 games, and only had a negative plus-minus in 13 of those outings. In a difficult situation without their star guard, Morris became a hugely reliable piece quicker than anyone could have expected given the circumstances.

In the final games of the regular season, Morris had a pair of back-to-back season highs. It started with points against the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 1, reaching 23 on 8-of-12 from the field. Then, on April 3, he dished out 10 assists in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

In the Playoffs, Morris continued to be one of the Nuggets' most consistent performers. In the five games against the Golden State Warriors, Morris averaged 14.0 points and 5.4 assists on 49.0% from the field and 42.3% from three.

Now, as he heads into his sixth NBA season, the confidence he's built for 2021-22 should allow him to take yet another leap forward.

In 2021-22, Morris was tied atop the Nuggets leaderboards for games played, appearing in 75. He was a starter in 74 of them, averaging 29.9 minutes per game. Morris finished the season with 12.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game on 48.4% from the field. 39.5% from three, and 86.9% from the free throw line.

His minutes, points, rebound, and assist figures all represented career highs. He also had his most efficient shooting season, with career highs in Effective Field Goal percentage and True Shooting percentage, both of which stood significantly above league averages.

Morris finished third on the Nuggets in three pointers made, and was second in offensive box plus-minus and offensive win shares. He also had the Nuggets' second-highest Value over Replacement Player.

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Nuggets 2021-22 Player Reviews: Monte Morris

When it comes to the recent history of the Denver Nuggets, perhaps no one has been more steady and reliable than Will Barton. The epitome of a role player, Barton has molded to the Nuggets' needs each and every year. And in his seventh season in Denver, he did more of the same.

Over the years, Barton has built a strong on-court chemistry with Nikola Jokić, and can be found roaming the perimeter to receive one of the MVP's signature passes for an open look. As the team's starting shooting guard in 2021-22, Barton provided significant minutes in their push towards the postseason.

Typically, when NBA players go from a bench player to a starter -- or vice versa -- their energy level and efficiency change. Sometimes, players perform better when they start or come in as a reserve. What has made Barton so vital for the Nuggets is his ability to remain consistent regardless of role.

While Jokić is the defining player of the current era of Nuggets basketball, Barton has been there every step of the way. In 2021-22, Barton proved that by etching himself into franchise history, becoming the Nuggets' all-time three point leader.

Barton, now 31, showed up each and every night for a team that desperately needed his services on the perimeter.

With the injury to Jamal Murray being known from the beginning of the season, it was clear that Barton was going to play a major role for Denver. And in the early days of the campaign, he delivered in a big way.

Barton averaged 33.5 minutes per night through the first 12 games, hitting over 40% of his threes and putting up strong numbers across the board. One of Barton's best performances of the year came during this early stretch, scoring 30 points in a win against the Indiana Pacers.

And while his hot shooting would slowly cool down, he refused to let it affect his productivity.

He scored in double figures in each of his next 11 games, reaching similar scoring averages despite seeing a five-percent decrease in his field goal percentage. 11 games in a row in double figures marked his second-longest streak of the season.

After two missed games and three difficult outings, Barton returned right back to his usual self, reaching 11 straight games in double figures for the second time this season. Almost immediately after, he would reach 12 games in a row scoring 10 or more points, the longest streak of his season.

On Feb. 24 -- the first game back from the All-Star Break -- Barton put together a season-high 31 points to go along with five rebounds, three assists, and a block. This effort came in a blowout win over the Sacramento Kings and was coupled with an incredibly efficient 11-of-17 shooting.

Barton's historic night came just over one week later, on March 4 against the Houston Rockets. By hitting back-to-back three pointers in the third quarter, Barton topped J.R. Smith on the Nuggets' all-time three pointers made leaderboard.

After over seven years in the Nuggets organization, it stood out as perhaps one of the most fulfilling moments of Barton's impressive career.

But Barton didn't use that as an opportunity to rest or take his foot off the gas pedal. Over his next 14 games, he shot 39.8% from three as the Nuggets continued their fight for a postseason berth.

When the Nuggets finally did clinch their place in the Playoffs, Barton missed the final game of the regular season, just his 11th missed game of the year. Over the course of the season, Barton never missed more than three games in a row, another testament to his availability and consistency.

In the Playoffs against the Golden State Warriors, it could be argued that Barton was one of the team's best players behind Jokić. He shot nearly 40% from three for the series, finishing the five-game stretch with 13.8 points per game and 5.6 rebounds.

Barton played -- and started -- in 71 games for the Nuggets this season, hitting 32.1 minutes on average. He finished the campaign with 14.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game while shooting 43.8% from the field, 36.5% from three, and 80.3% from the free throw line.

Barton finished as the Nuggets' third leading scorer behind Jokić and Aaron Gordon. He was also No. 3 in assists per game behind Jokić and Monte Morris.

The 10th-year guard was the Nuggets' three-point king in 2021-22, hitting 157 for the year, over 25 more than the 2nd-ranked Bones Hyland. Barton ranked third on the Nuggets in VORP and fifth in win shares.

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Nuggets 2021-22 Player Reviews: Will Barton

Denver Nuggets guard Bones Hyland was officially named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, becoming the first Nuggets player since Jamal Murray to do so.

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Bones Hyland All-Rookie Second Team Highlights

DENVER, May 18, 2022&nbsp;– The NBA announced today that Denver Nuggets guard Bones Hyland has been named to the All-Rookie second team. He becomes the ninth Nuggets player to be named to an NBA All-Rookie second team and the first since Jamal Murray in 2016-17.&nbsp;

Hyland, 6-3, 173, appeared in 69 games (four starts) in his rookie campaign, averaging 10.1 points, 2.8 assists and 2.7 rebounds, shooting 40.3% from the field and 36.6% from three in 19.0 minutes per game. He scored 20+ points on six occasions and registered one double-double.&nbsp;

Hyland knocked down 131 three-point field goals in 2021-22, surpassing Jamal Murray’s franchise record for most threes in a rookie season. It also ranked him second among rookies in the NBA, doing so in 828 less minutes then first-place. Bones also finished second amongst first year players with the most games with four or more threes (13).&nbsp;

The 21-year-old hit his stride post All-Star break. In 23 games (one start), Bones averaged 12.8 points, 4.3 assists and 2.7 rebounds while shooting 46.5% from the field and 40.0% from three, helping Denver secure the sixth seed in the Western Conference playoffs. In the playoffs, Hyland played all five games, posting 9.2 points, 3.2 assists and 2.0 rebounds in 17.4 minutes.&nbsp;

Hyland finished the season ranking second among all rookies in free-throw percentage, second in three-point field goals, sixth in three-point field goal percentage, ninth in assists per game and ninth in total points.

The VCU alum was drafted with the 26th overall pick by Denver in the 2021 NBA draft.

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BONES HYLAND NAMED TO ALL-ROOKIE SECOND TEAM

With the 26th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Denver Nuggets took a chance on a young point guard with immense scoring talent and a wildly popular personality. Their selection of Bones Hyland not only gave them an immediate fan favorite, but a legitimate scoring punch off the bench.

It wasn't surprising to see Hyland become an instantly beloved figure in Denver. During his draft workout cycle, he endeared himself to just about every team that brought him in for a workout. But very rarely do late-first round picks become true impact players for postseason-bound teams in Year 1.

That's exactly what Hyland accomplished as a member of the Nuggets. As the season progressed, he worked his way into the rotation, eventually becoming an integral part of it. By the Playoffs, Hyland was the player the Nuggets turned to when they needed a scoring threat.

He was also a popular pick within the organization to be named to an NBA All-Rookie Team. Head coach Michael Malone campaigned for Hyland several times towards the end of the season.

In his rookie season, Hyland showed that the sky is the limit for what he can be in the NBA. And as the team prepares for a potentially fully healthy roster in 2022-23, Hyland figures to be a major part of that equation.

As is often the case with non-lottery rookies, Hyland started the season closer to the end of the bench. In fact, he was a "DNP" in three of the Nuggets' first four games. However, whenever he got short stints of playing time, he managed to shine.

In his first 18 NBA minutes -- over two games -- he put up 13 total points of 5-for-9 shooting. His scoring abilities were well-documented at VCU, but he also had four assists, showing better court vision than many expected from him.

After those first two outings, he began getting increased opportunities. Over his next 11 performances, he played 17.7 minutes per game, but saw his shooting efficiency take a slight dive. Even still, there were flashes of potential that made it impossible for the Nuggets to relegate him back to the bench.

Over Hyland's first two months in the NBA, he had some impressive individual performances, reaching scoring figures of over 15 points in four of his first 18 games. But his first true breakout night came on Dec. 17 against the Atlanta Hawks.

In a blowout victory, Hyland amassed 24 points, four rebounds, two assists, and two blocks over 26 minutes played. With 8-of-11 shooting and 4-of-5 from three-point range, he announced his presence to the NBA world.

About one month later, Hyland had what would be his best night of the season. In the first game of his NBA career in which he played more than 30 minutes, the Nuggets rookie shined with 27 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, and two steals in a 37-point win over the Los Angeles Lakers. The 27 points, 10 rebounds, and six made threes are all career highs up to this point.

From this night on, Hyland was officially a permanent part of the Nuggets rotation. He averaged 20.7 minutes per night, and shot nearly 40% from three for the remainder of the season. He reached double figures in scoring in 25 of his final 39 games in the regular season.

Not only that, Hyland hit double figures in three of the team's five postseason games. He had 15 points, four rebounds, and seven assists in the Nuggets' lone postseason win in Game 4 against the Golden State Warriors.

The fan favorite now has the offseason to work his craft and come back an even more complete player. For the Nuggets to build upon their success with a fully healthy roster, they'll need Hyland at his absolute best.

Hyland's rookie season could not be viewed as anything other than a massive success. In 69 games -- four starts -- Hyland averaged 10.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 19.0 minutes of play.

He shot 40.3% from the field, 36.6% from three, and 85.6% from the free throw line. His 14.4 Player Efficiency Rating was sixth on the Nuggets, and his Box Plus-Minus ranked fourth. The Nuggets were a plus-1.5 during Hyland's minutes this season.

Among rookies with at least 30 games played, Hyland ranked seventh in three-point percentage, 10th in net rating, and fourth in usage percentage. Hyland had the highest usage percentage of any rookie that made the postseason.

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Nuggets 2021-22 Player Reviews: Bones Hyland

In his second season with the Denver Nuggets on a two-way contract, Markus Howard showed significant signs of improvement. In Year 2, Howard became a more efficient scorer and showed increased strength on the defensive end.

As is the case with many NBA two-way contracts, his opportunities for playing time with the Nuggets were limited. However, he certainly made the most of his opportunity both as a player, and as a figure within the locker room.

Howard can look ahead to his third NBA season knowing that he has built a foundation of success with his noticeable leap from his rookie to his sophomore campaign. All an undrafted player can show is their work ethic and willingness to improve, as there is no doubt that Howard displayed that.

For a player who appeared in just 31 games, having two 20-point performances shows the exact type of roll that Howard can get on with the right opportunity. In fact, Howard's first outing with over 20 minutes played was a gem.

In the Nuggets' 26th game of the year -- and Howard's 14th appearance -- he finished with 21 minutes played. In that time, he scored 21 points on 6-for-12 from beyond the three-point line. 21 points in 21 minutes on 15 total shots is remarkable efficiency, let alone the fact that it came in a winning effort against the San Antonio Spurs.

Just two games later, he scored 14 points in 16 minutes of play, going 4-of-9 from three-point range against the eventual playoff-bound Minnesota Timberwolves.

But Howard saved his best performance of the season for last. With the Nuggets having their spot in the postseason locked up, they took the opportunity to give younger players like Howard a significant workload against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Howard took that chance in stride, playing 24 minutes, scoring 25 points on 8-for-17 from the field in the process.

As a two-way player, Howard was ineligible to play in the postseason, meaning he did not get a chance to see his first Playoff minutes. But his time with the Nuggets has shown the value of learning within a winning organization.

From Year 1 to Year 2, Howard saw his points per game, and nearly all of his shooting splits, improve. He went from a 27.7% three point shooter in 2020-21 to 40.0% in 2021-22. His effective field goal percentage went from 46.2% to 52.5%.

Howard's true shooting percentage jumped nine points, from 47.7% to 56.7%. He ranked above league-average in a majority of the NBA's main shooting categories.

Across the board, Howard became a more efficient player, and built up a to-do list of ways he can capitalize on this improvement in the offseason.

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Nuggets 2021-22 Player Reviews: Markus Howard

In 2020-21, Facundo Campado took the Denver Nuggets by storm when he became an integral piece following the injury to Jamal Murray. He endeared himself to Nuggets Nation with his defensive energy and flashy passing, earning himself a spot in the rotation in 2021-22.

When the new campaign began, Campazzo picked up right where he left off. Defensively, he helped lift Nuggets perimeter defenders to a higher level, while making life slightly easier on Nikola Jokić and Aaron Gordon.

His scoring output also saw a slight bump in the first half of the season, with some impressive performances to his name. As the season progressed, Campazzo's role shifted to more of a leadership role.

Though his minutes decreased towards the latter half of the year, no one can deny Campazzo's impact on the Nuggets in 2021-22.

Campazzo's on-court abilities shined brightest during the first half of the 2021-22 campaign. After his steady performance during the 2021 NBA Playoffs, Campazzo became a regular rotation player as Murray continued to recover from his injury.

He reached an average of 22.3 minutes per game in his first 40 appearances, continuing that same energy and passing flare that made him so popular the year before.

Campazzo had a performance that many NBA players can only dream of in their second season when the Nuggets faced the Houston Rockets on Jan. 1, 2022. In 34 minutes of play, Campazzo finished with 22 points, 12 assists, five steals, four rebounds, and two blocks, a truly complete effort.

Less than two weeks later, Campazzo struck gold again, scoring 18 points, dishing another 12 assists, and nabbing four steals on Jan. 13 against the Portland Trail Blazers. Both of these performances came in massive winning efforts.

Campazzo's minutes began to decrease on Jan. 28, as he played in just 19 of the team's final 35 games. And after a one-game suspension for Game 1 of the Nuggets' first round series against the Golden State Warriors, he played in limited minutes for Games 2-5.

The Argentinian guard appeared in 65 games for the Nuggets in 2021-22, starting in four of them. In that time, he averaged 18.2 minutes per game.

Campazzo finished with statistical averages of 5.1 points, 3.4 assists, and 1.0 steals on 36.1% from the field, 30.1% from three, and 76.9% from the free throw line.

Among players with at least 20 games played, Campazzo was No. 1 on the Nuggets in steal percentage and No. 2 in assist percentage behind only Jokić. He also had the team's second highest defensive box plus-minus behind Jokić.

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Nuggets 2021-22 Player Reviews: Facundo Campazzo

The Denver Nuggets brought in Bryn Forbes as their highlight acquisition of the 2021-22 trade deadline. As an efficient, score-first point guard, the Nuggets were able too use Forbes as a depth piece to help offload the loss of Jamal Murray.

After a productive stint with the San Antonio Spurs to begin the season, Forbes picked up right where he left off when he got to Denver. He hit his three-pointers at a remarkably efficient rate after immediately being implemented into the rotation.

When the Nuggets were in need of quick offensive output in the second half of the season, they turned to Forbes. And when they got to the postseason, Forbes continued that role while also showing off some much-improved defensive chops.

Forbes certainly made the most of his opportunities with the Nuggets despite not making his team debut until late January.

Forbes spent the first three months of the 2021-22 season with the Spurs, where in a consistent role, he was one of the team's most explosive offensive weapons. However, with the trade deadline looming, Forbes was dealt to the Nuggets.

His arrival in Denver came as part of the three-team deal that sent PJ Dozier and Bol Bol to the Boston Celtics.

From there, it didn't take long for Forbes to make an impact. His first double-digit scoring affair came in just his second game with the Nuggets, a 12-point showing on 4-for-9 shooting from the field and 2-of-5 from three.

His best performance of the season came less than two weeks into his Nuggets tenure. Although it was in a losing effort to the Utah Jazz, on Feb. 2, Forbes scored 26 points on 10-for-13 from the field and 4-for-5 from three.

In Forbes' first 15 games with the team -- between the trade and the All-Star Break -- Forbes averaged 10.6 points per game, reaching double figures seven times.

After the break, his production slowed slightly. However, Forbes kept his efficient shooting numbers and a positive mentality despite the role change, ultimately earning himself playoff minutes.

He played 15.3 minutes per game in his five playoff appearances, shooting 36.4% from three and -- as mentioned previously -- playing stronger than anticipated defense against. the three-headed monster of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Jordan Poole.

Forbes appeared in 35 games for the Nuggets, appearing as a starter in one. He averaged 17.4 minutes per game in that span and scored 8.6 points per game.

His shooting splits were impressive, which has become par for the course in his career. Forbes shot 42.4% from the field, 41.0% from three, and 92.1% from the free throw line.

Among Nuggets players who played at least 20 games, Forbes had the third-highest three-point percentage.

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Nuggets 2021-22 Player Reviews: Bryn Forbes

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