Nuggets' Emmanuel Mudiay: Remains on fringe of rotation

Mudiay remains on the fringe of the Nuggets' rotation, having appeared in only five games in the month of March.

Analysis:

Mudiay limped into the All-Star break nursing a back injury, and his standing in coach Mike Malone's rotation never truly recovered, as he's appeared in only six games since the break. In those games, he's been relegated to mostly mop-up duty, averaging just 8.3 minutes, which he's translated to 4.2 points and 1.2 rebounds per game. With the Nuggets in the thick of the race for the eighth seed out West, Malone has been content to go with Jameer Nelson as the starting point guard, with rookie Jamal Murray coming on on relief. It's certainly a discouraging development for Mudiay, who struggled as a rookie but was considered a bounceback candidate in Year 2. For the season, Mudiay is averaging 10.8 points, 3.8 assists and 3.2 rebounds, but he's shooting just 37.1 percent from the field and an even uglier 31.1 percent from three.