Have the Denver Nuggets discovered a way to slow down Donovan Mitchell?

1. The most important question that will determine which team wins game 6 will be whether or not the Denver Nuggets have figured out a way to defend the Utah Jazz pick-and-roll (PnR). In game 5, the Nuggets held the Jazz to just 44 points in the 2nd half in part because of their ability to contain Donovan Mitchell with a more aggressive (and risky) PnR defense. It all begins with Nikola Jokic stepping further up the court and closer to the level of the screen, deterring the pull-up three-pointers that have killed the Nuggets in this series.

But every adjustment brings a new risk. Mitchell is quicker than Jokic, and bringing Jokic out into open space leaves the Nuggets vulnerable if Mitchell is able to get around him and into the paint.

2. The Nuggets are also vulnerable if Mitchell rejects the screen and beats the on-ball defender around the other side.

3. The same goes for if/when Mitchell is able to split the two PnR defenders.

4. Another adjustment that the Nuggets made in this coverage is to be more conservative in their help-side behind the PnR. In the clip below, watch how the Nuggets defenders in the corner stunt at Gobert but don’t fully commit to stopping him on the roll. Rather than get beat by Mitchell at the basket or off of kick-outs to open shooters in the corner, the Nuggets seem to be daring Gobert to beat them with lightly contested plays out of the short roll. The Nuggets are aided by having length in those positions with PJ Dozier and Michael Porter Jr.

5. The philosophy of using length to stunt at the PnR players without fully leaving spot-up shooters is evident in the clip below, albeit in a botched attempt to close out by Porter Jr.

6. One of the best defensive possessions the Nuggets have strung together all series demonstrates how all of the moving parts come together to take away the Jazz’s primary options.

7. On the other end of the court, the Nuggets found success attacking the Jazz in the PnR by using the power forwards as the screener rather than Jokic in an effort to drag Gobert away from the paint.

8. The Jazz began trapping these screens and were especially effective when Denver sent Torrey Craig as the screener. The Nuggets will need to come into Sunday’s game with a game plan for the Jazz sending these hard double teams and ignoring Craig. Trapping the ball so high up the court is a high risk, high reward defensive strategy. If the Nuggets are able to escape the trap, they can attack 4-on-3.

9. Of all the plays Jamal Murray made down the stretch of game 5, this one might’ve been the most impressive. Murray had it going, hitting tough shot after tough shot. So to not only be willing to pass on what was effectively the game-sealing possession but to also read the defense so masterfully shows real growth in Murray’s game. He was playing chess on this possession, and he put Gobert and the Jazz in checkmate.

10. The Nuggets have also found success using a second ball-handler alongside Murray and double stagger screens to force Gobert to commit higher up the floor.

11. One of the most difficult jobs Michael Malone has had all series is figuring out a rotation that doesn’t include hopeless lineups. Far too often he has stuck with lineups that have no hope on the defensive end, or no hope on the offensive end. Gary Harris may help make this easier if he is able to give the Nuggets 15 minutes in game 6. Either way, the Nuggets cannot survive for long if playing lineups like the one below.

12. The Nuggets’ role players also need a better understanding of when to be aggressive and when to just fill in the gaps and stay out of the way.  Below is an example of Jerami Grant failed to recognize a phenomenal opportunity to slow it down in transition and exploit multiple mismatches. These plays are killers in a series where the margins are razor-thin.

13. PJ Dozier is a near ace defender, both on-ball and off-ball.

14. He’s also significantly more spatially aware than Craig the offensive end.