Nuggets Roundtable: Who was Denver's unsung hero of Round 1?

The Nuggets are through to Round 2 of the playoffs after sending the Timberwolves home in five games. DNVR Nuggets discusses what they learned about Denver in Round 1, the unsung hero against Minnesota, and who the Nuggets will need more out of in Round 2 vs. Phoenix.

What did you learn about the Nuggets in Round 1?

Adam Mares: The Nuggets played better team ball for mosts of round one. Jamal Murray had his moments, as did Michael Porter Jr. and Nikola Jokic, but my over-arching takeaway was that it was a team win. I still think that the Nuggets will need to find even better connection in the next round but it was encouraging that this series didn’t simply come down to the heroics of one or two individuals the way the bubble run did. The Nuggets have a lot of ways to beat you and I am glad that we got to see them demonstrate that trait over the course of five games.

Harrison Wind: That Jamal Murray is going to be a force in these playoffs. The shot-making, the confidence to take game-deciding shots, the swagger, the fire, it was all there in Round 1. Murray averaged 27.2 points across five games against the Timberwolves. That’s a higher scoring average than he had during the 2020 bubble playoffs (26.5 points per game). Murray has leveled up his play and is going to be the deciding factor in how far the Nuggets go this postseason. If he plays like he did vs. Minnesota, Denver can go all the way. He’ll have the chance to post huge numbers against the Suns and their lack of elite perimeter defenders too. Josh Okogie is who will guard him next round.

Brendan Vogt: The March stretch truly was about effort. Denver showed what it looks like in the first three games when they’re locked in defensively and playing with a sense of urgency. The inferior teams don’t stand a chance. We saw again, too, what happens when they take their feet off the gas. See that third quarter in Ball Arena, Game 4, or the slow start to Game 5. It’s not my favorite trait in a team. It’d be more fun if they were merciless. But Denver has a switch, which was off to end the regular season. I expect it to be flipped on for the entirety of the Suns series.

Who was Denver’s unsung hero against Minnesota?

Mares: Aaron Gordon.

The numbers don’t jump out. 13 points, 7 rebounds. But he was tasked with slowing Karl-Anthony Towns and he more than accomplished that goal. Towns had a miserable series. Gordon made him a complete non-factor despite operating in foul trouble through most of the series. As a reward, Gordon will now be tasked with doing the same thing to Kevin Durant.

Wind: Bruce Brown

The real underlying reason why the Nuggets may have sent the Timberwolves packing in five games was because Denver found a way to dominate the non-Nikola Jokic minutes. The Nuggets were somehow able to outscore the Timberwolves by 28 points when Jokic was off the court — and a lot of those minutes came against Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert, and sometimes both of Minnesota’s bigs. Bruce Brown was a big reason why. Brown has talked about how his energy naturally goes up a notch in the postseason, and he wasn’t lying. He flew around defensively all series and tallied six steals in five games. He scored in double-figures in four games. He brings toughness, edge, and a defensive mindset that’s become the identity of the Nuggets’ second unit.

Vogt: Michael Porter Jr.

Mares and Wind are correct. Those are the two best responses. For the sake of variety, I’ll go to my backyard well and praise Porter. He averaged 8.2 rebounds a game in round one. It was the best he’s looked as a rebounder since the latest surgery and a great way to get involved without the ball. We rarely mentioned his defense, and often when we did, it was laudatory. It may have seemed like he struggled from deep, but he shot 42% from 3 on 6.6 attempts in the series. On the nights he struggled most, he came up clutch. He also literally did not turn the ball over against the Wolves. It wasn’t flashy, but it was steady.

What player will the Nuggets need to play better in Round 2 against the Suns?

Mares: Nikola Jokic.

It’s possible that Jokic had an underrated series in round one. He averaged over 26 points, 12 rebounds, and 9 assists going up against a 3x NBA defensive player of the year and another upper-tier center in KAT. Those are numbers that would typically draw historical comparisons to some of the all-time greats. And yet, Jokic needs to be even more dominant in round two. Ayton isn’t the defender that Gobert is and the Suns collectively don’t have the length and size to bother Jokic much. He needs to be the best player in a series that features Kevin Durant. He needs to control the game better than Chris Paul. He needs to have the best series of his career.

Wind: Michael Porter Jr.

Porter can’t have nights like he had in Game 5 against Phoenix — 3-10 shooting, 2-7 from 3-point range. Denver will need his scoring against Phoenix. The Suns have the best playoff offense right now, and the Nuggets will need to score more efficiently than they did against Minnesota to keep up. I thought Porter had a good series in Round 1, but he has to be better in Round 2. His defense will also be a focal point. Porter’s primary matchup in the series will be whoever the Suns start at small forward, Torrey Craig or Josh Okogie, but he’ll get targeted in this series way more than he did vs. the Timberwolves. The Suns will look to get him switched onto Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Chris Paul at a way higher rate.

Vogt: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Denver looks deeper than Phoenix when you get to the fifth starter on each lineup. Pope will have his work cut out for him defensively. They acquired him for matchups like these, and they’ll need every last ounce of his prowess to contain the Suns’ perimeter players. But he’s also going to be wide open. Craig couldn’t miss that role against the Clippers. Pope, meanwhile, shot just 36.4%. That has to swing in Denver’s favor. He can make a difference from the corners.