Denver Gazette beat writer Vinny Benedetto takes you around the NBA and inside the Nuggets:

NBA INSIDER

Leave it to Derrick White to find the joy in the near-impossible task of guarding the likes of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

“That’s the fun thing about being a guard in the NBA now,” White said of the challenge awaiting him and the Celtics against the Mavericks in the NBA Finals. “It’s like every night is somebody different and, obviously, Kyrie and Luka are at the top of the list.”

The 29-year-old from Parker will likely spend time on each of Dallas’s top two scorers throughout the Finals. That comes with different challenges. Listed at 6-foot-7 and 230 pounds, Doncic is among the league’s best at using his size to bump smaller defenders away and create room for a shot. Whatever the 6-foot-2, 195-pound Irving lacks in stature is made up for in skill. For all the differences in their games, they’re both among the league’s best one-on-one scorers. Doncic averaged 32.4 points on 47.3% shooting in the Western Conference Finals against Minnesota’s top-ranked defense, while Irving posted 27 points per game on 49% from the field.

“We know they’re great players. There’s really no stopping them,” White said in the days leading up to Thursday’s series-opener. “You just try to make it difficult for them. They’re going to make tough shots.”

After an unlikely rise from Parker’s playgrounds to Legend High School, White started his college career at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. A growth spurt helped him become a day-one starter at the Division-II level. A few years later, he transferred to Boulder to play Division-I ball for the Colorado Buffaloes and was eventually selected by San Antonio with the 29th pick of the 2017 NBA Draft. He got his first taste of the playoffs with the Spurs, including a 36-point performance against his hometown Nuggets in his second season.

San Antonio traded White to Boston ahead of the 2021-22 season, and he scored 21 points in his first NBA Finals game later that season. Boston lost to Golden State in a six-game series, but Boston is back in the Finals this year thanks in part to White’s second All-Defensive team selection in as many years. That defensive ability will be an important part of Boston’s title hopes. It won’t be easy, but tough tests have been a part of his story for a long time. Maybe that’s why he’s able to smile through the stresses of defending some of the game’s best players on basketball’s biggest stage.

“This is what you dream about as a kid. It’s the NBA Finals,” White said. “It’s going to be a challenge. We just got to be up for it. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

WHAT I’M THINKING

Many Nuggets fans are focusing on the wrong potential reunion.

It’s obvious Bruce Brown still holds a special spot in the collective heart of Nuggets Nation, but his return all but certainly means Kentavious Caldwell-Pope walked away in free agency and the Nuggets made another move to free up some cap space that’s not readily available. If that’s the case, the Nuggets would presumably replace KCP with either Brown or second-year wing Christian Braun in the starting lineup. Neither Brown nor Braun are good enough shooters to make it a seamless transition into the starting lineup.

The best-case scenario for the Nuggets features a different reunion. It’s more likely either Monte Morris or Mason Plumlee return to Denver on more affordable contracts. Brown has a team-option with $23 million next season, which Toronto could accept and take him off the market. Even as a free agent, Brown would have a market value exceeding what Denver will be able to offer.

Morris and Plumlee are both unrestricted free agents this summer after making under $10 million last season. Plumlee, at 34, and Morris, who turns 29 later this month, are more advanced in their careers and would be more likely to give Denver a discount, especially after they were part of the climb to the top before missing out on the summit push.

It’s not as splashy, but Denver’s best bet is retaining Caldwell-Pope while solidifying the bench with the return of Morris or Plumlee at positions of need.

WHAT I’M SEEING

The Nuggets aren’t announcing who they’ve invited to Denver for pre-draft workouts anymore, and media is no longer invited to interview potential draftees when they’re in town. But prospects are starting to drop hints about which teams they’re working out for ahead of the June 26 Draft. There are a few players who’ve posted on social media, indicating they have been in Denver to show the Nuggets’ front office what they can do. That group includes Colorado’s KJ Simpson, New Mexico’s Jaelen House and Connecticut’s Tristen Newton. All three are experienced college players who could play the point professionally and are expected to be drafted late in the first round, sometime in the second, or not at all.

Here are a few other names who fit that mold – Marquette’s Tyler Kolek, Creighton’s Trey Alexander, Virginia’s Reece Beekman, UC Santa Barbara’s Ajay Mitchell, Houston’s Jamal Shead and Colorado State’s Isaiah Stevens.

WHAT I’M READING

Chris Hine, the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Timberwolves beat writer, offers a good look at Minnesota’s offseason. It’s a complicated picture given the ownership dispute and the likelihood the Timberwolves end up in the second apron of the luxury tax, but it sounds like all parties involved are committed to keeping the Wolves in contention for years to come.

THE LIST

Vinny’s five favorite draft prospects likely available outside the lottery:

1. Devin Carter, Providence

Denver would have to move up a handful of spots or get really lucky to land the former Friar. While people have clamored for Bruce Brown’s return, Carter could very well turn into a similar player. At 6-foot-3 with a nearly 6-foot-9 wingspan, size shouldn’t be an issue for the 22-year-old at the next level. He’s got the defensive chops to earn Michael Malone’s trust early and plays with a combination of energy and athleticism that Denver fans would appreciate. He’s also got NBA genes, as his father, Anthony, spent a few seasons with the Nuggets during his 11-year NBA career. Pops is a player development coach with Miami, and the Heat have the 15th overall selection. If Devin makes it past 15, Denver should look at moving up to get the younger Carter.

2. DaRon Holmes, Dayton

The former Flyer has the tools to become Denver’s long-sought answer at backup center. While his 6-foot-10 frame is a small concern, the 21-year-old has a seven-foot wingspan and enough vertical and horizontal athleticism to negate the couple of inches that separate him from most centers. A 39% 3-point shooter last year, Holmes should be able to stretch defenses at the NBA level. Landing Holmes might require a trade up as well, but it shouldn’t be as costly as trying to get carter. There’s also a decent chance he’s available when Denver drafts at No. 28.

3. Bub Carrington, Pittsburgh

One of the fastest risers over the last year, Carrington looks like an obvious fit with Denver’s second unit. His best offers out of high school were Pitt, Rutgers and LSU. Now, he’s almost a certain first-rounder who probably won’t be on the board unless the Nuggets move up. The one-and-done point guard has the positional size Calvin Booth values and the offensive juice the Nuggets’ bench needs. At 6-foot-5, the 18-year-old looked comfortable both as a scorer and creator against ACC competition. If Holmes reminds people of a more developed version of Zeke Nnaji, Carrington is a taller Bones Hyland-type with more upside. He wouldn’t be as immediately impactful as Carter but projects as the better talent in the long run.

4. Oso Ighodaro, Marquette

The 21-year-old center would give the Nuggets continuity when it comes to style of play. While Ighodaro isn’t drawing any comparisons to Nikola Jokic anytime soon, he did display advanced vision and play-making ability in his final two years of college. He’s a solid athlete at 6-foot-11, though he’s not much of a shooter. He finished his time at Marquette with a better field-goal percentage (62.4) than free-throw percentage (61.6) and missed the only two 3-pointers he attempted. He won’t be the best draft pick in NBA history, like Jokic, but he would add to Denver’s history of overperforming second-round picks.

5. Baylor Scheierman, Creighton

If they come out of Creighton, there’s a good chance they’re a skilled shooter. Scheierman isn’t quite Kyle Korver or Doug McDermott (or Ethan Wragge or Booker Woodfox or Mitch Ballock), but he’s a high-level, high-volume shooter who could be more versatile than his Bluejay predecessors. He’s the only player in Creighton history to record a triple-double and could become a big guard in the NBA at 6-foot-7. He went to the combine as a likely second-round pick due to his age (23) and average athleticism but rose to a first-round prospect on some boards thanks to strong showings in the scrimmage. Denver probably has more pressing needs in the first round, but Scheierman could be worth trading up for if he’s available in the second.