South Carolina basketball: PJ Dozier seeing success in the NBA bubble

Former South Carolina basketball player PJ Dozier is becoming a major contributor on the court.

The Denver Nuggets signed former Gamecock PJ Dozier to a multi-year deal earlier this year, promoting the guard from G-League to the NBA. The move is paying off, as the Nuggets are getting some major contributions from the third-year pro since the abbreviated NBA season started back up.

Dozier was a star at the G-League level, scoring more than 21 points per game over his last two seasons. Denver took notice, and extended an offer, envisioning the 6’6” shooter as a key piece of the organization’s future.

In his six games in ‘the bubble,’ Dozier has tallied double figures on three occasions, helping his squad maintain their 3rd place position in the Western Conference standings. In his latest outing, he scored a team-high 18 points, though the Nuggets fell to the Lakers by a score of 124-121.

Since the NBA’s return earlier this month, Dozier’s averaging just under 10 points a contest, while adding 17 rebounds, 23 assists, and four steals. He’s connecting on 42% of his shots, and coaches seem to be getting a little more comfortable putting him in the lineup, as he’s notched at least 20 minutes in three of his last four appearances.

Don’t expect this to be an aberration, either. Dozier is a dynamic player that possesses great length, an ability to get to the basket, and solid defensive traits. The more game experience he gets, the more comfortable he’ll become on the court. And with performances like his last one, his confidence should continue to grow.

As a Gamecock, the Columbia native played for head coach Frank Martin on South Carolina’s Final Four team. He averaged around 14 points per game as a sophomore before moving onto the professional ranks. He scored double figures in 25 of the Gamecocks’ 36 games, including all five of South Carolina’s NCAA tournament matchups.