Inside Nuggets forward Zeke Nnaji’s “giant leap” this summer

The talk of Nuggets training camp in San Diego wasn’t the two-time MVP, Nikola Jokic, or even the two max players returning from their extended absences.

Of course, onlookers were curious how Jamal Murray pivoted on his surgically-repaired knee and how mobile Michael Porter Jr. looked. But the most optimistic chatter stemmed from the play of third-year pro Zeke Nnaji, whose dedicated summer of work helped launch him into a competition for minutes as a backup big man.

With Porter healthy, the minutes in question will come off the bench. And depending on the rest of the preseason, they’ll either go to Nnaji or veteran free agent signee DeAndre Jordan.

Nuggets coach Michael Malone didn’t mince words when asked pointedly about the two of them.

“Everything’s a competition,” Malone said following his team’s preseason opener against Oklahoma City, where Nnaji had a team-high 15 points in 17 minutes. A third-year forward vs. a 15-year veteran, Malone reinforced a principle he’s leaned on dozens of times throughout the years.

“It’s never personal,” he said.

Nnaji spent every weekday throughout the summer lifting and shooting. He’d be in the weight room by 9 a.m., lifting for at least an hour, before he wobbled onto the court.

“Leg days are the worst because you come out, and you’re shaking, and then you gotta go on the court and shoot for a couple hours,” said Nnaji, who was hindered by knee issues last season. “I’ve been walking out like Bambi.”

There’d be his morning session of work, followed by another evening session of shooting. Throughout the day he’d work with coaches on finishing inside, defensive drills and his shooting technique – all areas he’s been praised for since the team opened camp two weeks ago.

There was a time last season when his 46% 3-point shooting percentage was among the best in the NBA. Although there was a slight hitch in his shot, it didn’t appear his shooting form needed much tweaking. But on the suggestion of the coaching staff, he centered his launch and refined his release.

“It’s not something we’re going to force on you, but I agree,” Nnaji said of the conversation with the Nuggets’ coaching staff.

But why refine something that’s been good?

“Being a perfectionist, I know it’s never going to be perfect,” Nnaji said. “… I look at it like an exponential curve. If three is the line, it never gets to three, but it keeps getting closer and closer the higher you get up. … I’m trying to be the closest one to three.”

Now apply that to his offseason attitude, and you can start to understand how Nnaji is wired.

He was already a proficient spot-up shooter. The idea was to make him more lethal on the move. Now, he said his shooting mechanics stay the same no matter the situation.

Nnaji’s dedication in the weight room not only added four inches to his vertical leap, it also granted him special acclaim among teammates. A before-and-after picture posted in the team’s weight room by strength coach Felipe Eichenberger has drawn attention.

Nnaji, who added 10 pounds of muscle this offseason, confirmed he’s caught significant flak for it.

The benefits are obvious. Against Oklahoma City, Nnaji was more explosive on the glass, confident from beyond the arc and far more impactful than he used to be. He said his on-court awareness has improved, as has his defensive communication. While it’s not his job to decide a winner in the ongoing race to back up Nikola Jokic, Nnaji has done everything in his power to justify a bigger workload.