DENVER ? J.R. Rider laughed when asked about his unusual situation early this NBA season.

As the Denver Nuggets' need for a scorer to complement Nick Van Exel has increased, Rider's minutes have decreased.

It's a strange combination, considering Rider is the most proven NBA point producer on Denver's active roster.

As the Nuggets were shooting just 37 percent from the field in Saturday's home loss to Sacramento, Rider saw a grand total of five minutes of action, hitting one 3-pointer and turning the ball over twice. He didn't play at all in the second half.

"It's early and we're still trying to find our way," Van Exel said. "J.R. is playing about eight minutes and Voshon (Lenard) hasn't been in there much."

That could be interpreted as lobbying for some help in the form of increased minutes for the two veteran swingmen.