Nuggets reflect on "stagnant" offense, issues defending 3-point line vs. Jazz

Five nuggets for the five field goals Denver converted in the second quarter. It fell 111-104 to Utah on Thursday, which snapped a five-game winning streak.

1. The word of choice was “stagnant”. Monte Morris used it to describe Denver’s offense during the second quarter. Will Barton did, too.

“That was one of our worst quarters of the year,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “Just a lot of standing around on offense. Over-dribbling. That group was really bad, obviously.”

Malone was referring to his bench unit that included Isaiah Thomas, Morris and Gary Harris. The Nuggets mustered two points in the first five minutes of the quarter with that three-guard lineup on the floor. The Nuggets finished with more turnovers (six) than made field goals (five) and got blasted 33-15 in the quarter overall.

“We’ve got to be better when we come off the bench with that group and understand that we play a certain style of basketball,” Malone said. “It’s not 1 on 1. It’s not standing around. It’s not pick and roll every possession.”

Friday marked Thomas’ fifth game back from a hip injury that sidelined him for 11 months. The 5-foot-9 scoring guard struggled to blend into Denver’s free-flowing attack. On his first possession of the game, he tried to take Royce O’Neal off the dribble and got stripped.

In 11 minutes, Thomas shot 2 for 6 from the field, scored four points and turned it over twice. Denver was outscored by 10 points with him on the floor.

“He’s trying to find his rhythm and get comfortable with the ball in his hands and making plays,” Malone said. “And on the other hand of that, he’s got to understand how we play. Move the ball and get guys involved.”

Striking the balance between taking his guy off the dribble, which Thomas did time and time again two seasons ago on his way to averaging 28.9 points per game, and fitting into Denver’s democratic attack has been tricky. The Nuggets are averaging only 91.9 points per 100 possessions with Thomas on the floor since he returned Feb. 13. When he sits, they’re humming along at 113.6 points per 100 possessions.

“It’s very hard when you play 10 minutes,” Thomas said. “You’ve just got to continue to get better whenever your name is called, play hard and figure things out. And that’s all I can do.”

Thomas had some nice moments in February. He scored eight points in 13 minutes in his Nuggets debut against Sacramento then came back with 16 points in 16 minutes two nights later in Dallas. There’s still a lot of rust to knock off, though.

“I know it’s a marathon,” Thomas said. “We’re not all gonna get it in one day, one week, one month. Just got to keep working.”

2. This game looked like a blowout midway through the third quarter. Denver trailed by 18. Almost singlehandedly, Barton made it competitive. He converted a pair of and-1s and swallowed up a Donovan Mitchell layup after getting bumped backwards.

Barton scored 13 of his 21 points in the quarter. He also hauled in a season-high 13 rebounds. Barton’s burst and explosion seem to have returned after missing 39 games due to core surgery.

Barton attributes his competitiveness to learning the game in inner-city Baltimore. His never-say-die streak was on display in the third quarter.

3. Rough game for Nikola Jokic as Rudy Gobert harassed him into a 5-of-15 shooting performance. Gobert blocked Jokic four times. His length and athleticism bothered Jokic, who was coming off a 36-point game against the Thunder.

Jokic still wound up with 16 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists. But it was far from his most efficient outing.

4. The Nuggets had to pick their poison guarding the Jazz. When they tried to guard Donovan Mitchell 1 on 1, he feasted. When they blitzed him, he found Gobert down low for dunks and layups. When they sent extra help toward the pick and roll, Utah’s shooters were waiting.

“They do a great job of spreading you out,” Malone said. “Obviously they have Rudy Gobert on the rim, which you have to account for. At halftime, I think we had given up five layups or dunks to the roll man.”

The Nuggets sent extra help Gobert’s way in the second half, but that didn’t work either as the Jazz found shooters along the perimeter who knocked down 3s. Thabo Sefolosha went 3 of 3 from behind the arc, while Kyle Korver, eighth all-time in 3-point percentage, was 6 for 10 from downtown. The Jazz combined to make 16 3-pointers.

“It’s tough,” Barton said. “If it’s not almost perfect, you’re just playing behind it hoping they miss shots.”

5. The Jazz’s jerseys are a polarizing subject. The uniforms, which are inspired by southern Utah’s red rocks, inspire seemingly equal parts admiration and anger. One writer, who shall remain nameless, said they look like the Buffalo Wild Wings wing index. I’m a fan of their alternate threads. Any state with natural beauty should celebrate it. These are a great look. Don’t @ me.