Denver Post beat writer Bennett Durando regularly opens the Nuggets Mailbag throughout the season. Here you can ask a Nuggets or NBA-related question.

I’ve heard a lot about NBA TV ratings going down and fans not showing interest in the games. It feels like old school fans like me are tired of constantly vomiting threesomes. My vote is a lack of talent and players that put me first. What’s wrong with that?

-Rip, Aurora

This is a legitimate and perhaps unanswerable question. But I hope you’ll forgive me for being completely honest with you, Rip. I don’t care. I’m not a ratings guy. I can’t bring myself to worry in the slightest about viewership. The 2023 and 2024 NBA Finals had better ratings than the 2021 NBA Finals between Milwaukee and Phoenix. This had no impact on the legacy of each series or the entertainment value of the encounters.

I think the NBA product is pretty good this season, and I think most people who watch a lot of games agree with that. We have a robust mid-tier of teams that are both compelling and flawed. We have real doubts about who will win the championship. A synthesis of aging legends, all-time greats in their prime and irresistible rising stars. And if you’re a Nuggets fan, there’s a heart attack and a buzzer-beater every other night.

The topic of 3-point volume is much more intriguing, but it feels somewhat separate to me. Are casual basketball fans really so disgusted by the Celtics that they turn off the television? It looks like this would require enough awareness and investment in the sport to know that Boston attempts 51 per game.

I say let the network execs worry about their ratings. If you enjoy watching basketball (not “you” specifically, Rip; “you” as a whole) and you enjoy following the NBA or a particular team, then why does it matter to you whether fair-weather fans participate or not? the league’s efforts to market Anthony Edwards?

The Nuggets need to make moves before the NBA trade deadline if they want to compete in the NBA Finals. But what steps would best serve this team? Do we need to deduct some salary for future moves? Thanks.

—Matthew, Highlands Ranch

I’ll keep my answer short and direct you to this in-depth look at Denver’s trading options and restrictions. However, your second question is about a subplot that I don’t address in this story, so my hat goes off to you for the sequel, Matthew.

If the Nuggets hope to split Michael Porter Jr.’s $35.9 million cap hit into several smaller salaries through a 1-2 trade, they will either have to waive someone or attach another contract to the trade. A 15-man squad can only have 15 men. Ideally, the second player you give up is not an everyday rotation player, as the purpose of this type of trade is to deepen the rotation. You want to make one playable guy two, not two two – especially when Porter is the best player in the business.

On the other hand, if the Nuggets trade Porter for Zach LaVine (or another star with a salary in the $40 million range), a nice side effect would be that it would have to be a 2-for-1 ratio or a 3-for -1 or 4-for-2 deal that opens up a roster spot. Open up flexibility.

Denver could leave the roster spot vacant to save some money, or it could seek another cheap replacement player on the buyout market. In this scenario, frontcourt depth or perimeter defense would be a priority.

Russell Westbrook was a lot of fun in Denver and it seems like the Joker is enjoying having him around. Can you briefly talk about the impact he had on this team?

– Big Al, Denver

Westbrook’s intangible assets were the obvious reason to sign him. He is idolized by younger generations of athletes. Seven of Denver’s 15 roster spots are currently filled with players 25 years old or younger. This automatically made him an ideal fit for the corporate culture. Westbrook starts every game on the bench, surrounded by guys who saw him on TV as a kid. Ask any of them and they will tell you that they observe their training habits and listen to their advice with rapt attention.

The unpredictable part was always the dynamics on the pitch. But that was also a success. Over the last 19 games, Westbrook is averaging 12.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 1.5 steals on 47% shooting (36.6% from three). Most importantly, as you pointed out, Big Al, the Rocky Mountain Russ Renaissance has a lot to do with the connection he developed with Jokic despite the perceived stylistic differences.

Optimizing Westbrook in the post-prime phase of his career is about capitalizing on strengths that never go away. He is unpredictable. Jokic is meticulous. But they have a supernatural talent to play a basketball. Westbrook is sharp enough to recognize opportunities when playing next to a Hall of Fame scorer, and he enjoys threading the ball. Jokic quickly understood that. He has the reflexes to indulge in the stunts of a daredevil. It’s undeniable highlight fodder.

“When Russ is out there with Nikola, you can tell he’s always looking for him,” Michael Malone said earlier this month. “He’s always trying to find him. And that makes perfect sense to me. When you play with the best player in the world, you might want to give him the ball.”

Jokic made 151 field goals on assists from Jamal Murray last season. That is currently the record for the most Jokic balls in a single season assisted by a teammate in their career. In 25 games, Westbrook has collected 60 assists for the Serbian center – the fourth most of any duo in the league (as of Friday).

Jokic and Westbrook shared the floor for just 371 minutes. Each of the top three duos played at least 575 minutes together.

“I just look at him and he looks at me,” Jokic said in Atlanta last week, “and I think we just communicate through the eyes.”

The Nuggets seem to be pretty injury-plagued at the moment. Is this the type of team that can still make the playoffs?

–Tony, Denver

Good news about those injuries: The Nuggets only had their full starting lineup available in 10 of the first 25 games.

Bad news: The Nuggets are 4-6 in these 10 games.

Here’s the thing. Buried in this frustrating, capricious and occasionally lazy start to the season is a significant sample of just how good the Nuggets can be.

They have the second-best net rating in the NBA and the fifth-best defensive rating… in the second half of games.

The second-quarter Nuggets are a lottery team with a good chance of winning Cooper Flagg. With a net rating of minus 9.4, they rank 27th in the league. Yes, the banking unit is the main culprit. But the bad mood is also reflected in the MVP’s minutes. Over the last five games, Denver is minus-11.7 when Jokic was on the floor in the second quarter. The otherwise excellent starting eleven suddenly lacked harmony for over six minutes. The same problems repeat themselves. Defensive rebound. Go back to defense, especially after losing the ball. Keep the ball handlers in front.

Then comes halftime. In Jokic’s minutes after the break this season, the team’s net rating is 15.0. That exceeds championship level.

How do you interpret such a dramatic discrepancy? I think it’s a question of collective effort. The Nuggets are procrastinators. To put it in the words of one sportswriter – which definitely doesn’t apply to me – if you don’t start writing your game story until the third quarter, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll miss your deadline at the final buzzer.