Q >> Do we have eight guys who can handle playoff minutes? Do we even have seven? I have serious concerns about Peyton Watson’s consistency and Russell Westbrook’s decision-making.

— Lucas, Littleton

Durando >> These playoffs might require a different mode of thinking about the rotation. I think the Nuggets have a handful of players on the bench capable of making a worthy impact with hustle and energy, just in small stints.

Do they have a singular sixth man who can be used for 26.5 minutes a game, like Bruce Brown in the 2023 playoffs? Maybe not. I understand that fans’ mileage varies on Westbrook. On any given night, he can be one of Denver’s best players on the floor or his own worst enemy. Recognizing the difference in real-time will be an important aspect of Michael Malone’s lineup management. Some nights, Westbrook might be good for 35 minutes. Others, he might be good for 18.

This should probably be the mindset that extends all the way down the bench. Instead of a set eight-man rotation every time, Malone might have to piece it together game by game. He might need to use five total bench players throughout the playoffs but only two or three per night. The Nuggets might need a mini-scoring jolt from Julian Strawther during Game 3 of a series and a switchable defender like Zeke Nnaji during Game 4. Maybe there’s a first-round opponent they want to attack in transition and a second-round opponent that warrants a more methodical tempo (hello Jalen Pickett).

If Malone does opt for something closer to a set-in-stone rotation, I could see preferring not to extend more than seven deep. But either way, I think Watson is going to have to play. When he’s locked in, his defensive skillset is game-changing, even if his offense remains shaky.

Q >> What’s going on with Aaron Gordon’s injury? Are the Nuggets just time-managing him until he’s fully healed for the playoffs?

— Devon K., Denver

Durando >> Don’t count on it going away entirely. Malone acknowledged earlier this season that Gordon’s calf strain is the type of soft tissue affliction that Denver will have to navigate until the end. We’ve seen Gordon suddenly leave games due to pain in the calf multiple times since the original injury, with flare-ups spread across four months at this point.

The latest of those incidents in OKC turned out to be pretty benign, but the team still didn’t want him playing immediately. So it goes. The precautionary measures seemed to help him. Gordon said after scoring 38 points at Golden State that his calf feels the best it’s been in several weeks.

If Gordon misses playoff games, the Nuggets are in serious trouble. They need him at both ends of the floor, especially if — to bring this back to the previous question — Malone doesn’t trust Nnaji to play backup center.

Q >> Our offense is as good as we’ve ever had, but we’re ruining it with our trash defensive play. We’re giving up an average of 117 a game. If we could tighten up and be league average, we’re easily that No. 2 seed and looking at contending for another championship. What needs to change? Who needs to step up?

— Mike, Denver

Durando >> Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. each deserve some blame here. They play a ton of minutes, and none of them are known as stout defenders. Jokic’s effort has appeared to be lacking for games at a time. Porter falls asleep against cutters. Murray just doesn’t make rotations as doggedly as he should sometimes.

Gordon being in and out of the lineup is undoubtedly related to the defensive regression. When he’s been healthy, he hasn’t looked quite as sharp as usual to me. And then there’s Christian Braun, who is already a good point-of-attack defender but is being asked to do a lot while he’s still in his third season. It’s easier to notice that he has room for significant improvement when he’s expected to be the team’s lead defensive guard every night.