Denver Nugget PJ Dozier Describes What Shutdown Has Been Like For Younger Players
As the NBA continues to weigh different scenarios to bring the season back, veterans throughout the league have voiced their opinions and concerns from role players Jared Dudley to franchise focal points like LeBron James.
But one thing those players as well as those a part of the NBPA have in common is the financial security that comes with that type of tenure.
For players like former South Carolina Gamecock and current Denver Nugget PJ Dozier, the stakes to get back on the court are a little bit higher.
“Oh absolutely. Especially when those checks aren’t rolling in like they were,” he said in an interview with Sports Illustrated. “We just have to stay patient and understand that all of this that’s occurring is for the betterment of everyone else and it’s safety precautions that’s being taken. But as young guys, we’re definitely ready to continue our journey and get back out there on the court so we can maintain our status and continue to progress.”
Dozier is in his third year in the league and was brought on by Denver this past summer. He spent the first three months of the season in the G-League with the Windy City Bulls and averaged 21.4 points, 7.7 assists and 7.7 rebounds.
Dozier finally got the call to suit up for the Nuggets after an ankle injury to Jamal Murray. He would make the most of it, scoring a career-high 12 points off the bench in just 13 minutes of action against the Charlotte Hornets. He would remain in the rotation for 14 of the next 15 games leading up to the All-Star break.
Dozier has had to stay ready to hear his number called his entire professional career, and he said this is no different, though the preparation is a bit more challenging.
“It was tough because you don’t really know what you’re preparing for,” he said. “You don’t know if you’re preparing for next season or to come back this season. You don’t want to go too hard, then by the time they say game on, you’re all worn out. At the same time you want to do enough to when they say it’s time, you’re not all the way out of shape. So just trying to keep that even ground and stay locked in.”
As of now, Dozier said they haven’t received any word if and when the season will continue, but he noted that he trusts the league to handle things in the way that puts player safety first.
“I trust that the league is going to do what they need to do to make sure that everyone is healthy and safe in that regard,” he said. “But at the end of the day, we’re competitors so the sooner we get, I’m sure the majority of us guys are going to be ready to play.”
Dozier added that teammates and colleagues he’s talked to have shared in his eagerness to get back on the court, though there are some factors that give them pause.
“It’s a little bit of both,” he said. “A lot of the guys are eager to get back out there, but at the same time they definitely want to take the steps to make sure that everyone is healthy. We’re still going to be around family and things like that so we want to make sure that when it is time to go back out there, we’re put in a safe position to do so, to do our job at a high level and also to come home to our family and loved ones and also make sure they’re safe as well.”
Dozier and his teammates were actually in the middle of a game when they first heard rumblings of a shutdown.
“We were in Dallas and news came during the game. So at halftime there were like they might suspend the season,” he said. “We knew that it was a possibility that that was our last game for a while and we just wanted to lock in and make sure we pulled that win out. It was weird because we were hearing the chatter while the game was going on and after the game that’s when they were like the season was going to be suspended. So we got on the plane and instead of going to our next away game, I think it was like San Antonio, we wound up going back to Denver.”
From there the team dispersed and have been awaiting word from the league since. Dozier said given the circumstances, he believes they’ve been kept in the loop.
“I think they’re handling it as well as they can,” he said. “Like I said, we’ve never seen anything like this before so it’s hard to say the right or wrong thing to do in this situation. I think they’re taking their time, making sure they do as much research and everything they need to do to ensure when we do return to play, everyone is safe.”
The Nuggets were 43-22 before the shutdown, good enough for the third seed in the western conference. Dozier said he is in favor of finishing the year if the necessary safety precautions can be carried out.
“If everyone’s able to get back to the city we play in and everyone’s on board to play and we’re safe doing that even if it’s not in front of any fans…I’m all for it.”