The Nuggets' winning formula isn't what you think

Monte Morris was up to his old tricks Friday night. The second-year guard, who has less than 500 career minutes under his belt, handed out four assists to zero turnovers in Denver’s 112-87 win over the Orlando Magic. On the season, Morris has registered 75 assists and just 11 turnovers. He leads all point guards league in assist-to-turnover ratio, something he did all four seasons at Iowa State.

If everyone on the Nuggets’ roster took care of the ball like Morris has this season, Denver might be primed for a deep playoff run.

With their win over the Magic, the Nuggets moved to 9-1 when they turn the ball over less times than their opponent. Denver gave the ball away 11 times against Orlando, which is tied for its third-lowest total of the season. The Magic recorded 15 turnovers Friday, which the Nuggets converted into 18 points.

“Winning basketball is not beating yourself,” said Nuggets coach Michael Malone, who made sure to point out during his postgame remarks that Denver is the only team in the league to record at least 20 assists and less than 20 turnovers in every game this season.

While Morris has protected the ball this season like former Steelers running Jerome Bettis at the goal line, Denver’s starter has had problems holding onto the rock. Jamal Murray committed four turnovers Friday against the Magic. He had five earlier this week in Milwaukee, and his crucial giveaway down the stretch Wednesday in Minnesota nearly proved fatal.

But the Nuggets were able to come away from their three-game road trip with a win over the Timberwolves and have now won two straight after losing six of seven.

Still, the turnovers loom in the back of everyone’s mind as Denver’s key to success.

“A few times late in the game we’ve turned the ball over, myself included,” said Murray after Denver’s latest win, which moved the Nuggets to 12-7 on the season. “The ball slipped out of my hands a couple times today. But I think we kept to the turnovers down (tonight) to 11. We did a good job of just making them try to beat us.”

Turnovers are proving to be the key to Denver’s offense too. The Nuggets racked up 112 points versus the Magic, a healthy total for an offense that has struggled at times to hit triple digits this season as Denver tallied 33 assists on 44 made field goals. The Nuggets have finished with at least 29 assists in each of their last five games.

“If you take care of the basketball, you’re going to get a lot more opportunities to shoot the ball,” Morris said. “And when we do that, everybody gets in a rhythm. The ball doesn’t get stagnant and everything flows.”

That rhythm Morris mentioned has come and gone this season but is reappearing often for the Nuggets as of late, who boast the eighth-most efficient offense in the league. Denver’s free-flowing attack can’t run smoothly unless the Nuggets’ young guards and big men hang onto the basketball. With Morris, Murray and Jokic still in their early-20’s, that’s part of the deal for the Nuggets, who boast the second-youngest roster in the league, as 12-year veteran Paul Millsap wisely spelled out from one corner of Denver’s locker room.

“With a lot of young guys, you have the tendency to turn the ball over,” said Millsap. “But this year we’re making a conscious effort to control the ball.”

Around Millsap, the Nuggets’ defense has exceeded all internal and external expectations as Denver reaches the quarter pole of the regular season. Denver jumped back into the top-5 in defensive efficiency after holding Orlando to 40.5 percent shooting from the field and 8-32 (25.0 percent) from three. Through 19 games, the Nuggets are holding their opponent to 4.5 points fewer points per 100 possessions this season than last. The Magic is the eight opponent Denver has already held to under 100 points this season.

But the improved defense also wouldn’t be possible if the Nuggets were giving the ball away like they were last year.

A season ago, Denver averaged 15.0 turnovers per game. The Nuggets’ guards were almost spending more time running back on defense, defending 3-on-1’s than they were guarding their man in the half court. This year, that number has dropped to 14.2, the eighth-best mark in the league as Denver defense continues to benefit from playing with a set defense on a regular basis.

It’s a winning formula.

“That’s the biggest thing for us,” Murray said. “Not beating ourselves.”