Ante upped for Denver Nuggets vs. Miami Heat

 

Season series (0-1)

Owning a Western Conference high four game win streak (tied with the Warriors), the Nuggets look to continue their hot streak as they take on the Heat and attempt to give them a dish that’s best served cold: revenge.

Their main target should be Hassan Whiteside, the monster in the paint whoa dropped a triple-double with 19 points, 17 rebounds and 11 blocks last time the two teams faced off.

Fortunately, he is now coming off the bench and with the emergence of Jusuf Nurkic last game (17 points, 4 rebounds and 2 blocks in 18 minutes), the Nuggets look to have a perfect answer if Whiteside starts to get out of hand.

Regular Season Game 67
Denver Nuggets (28-38)	vs.	Miami Heat (38-28)
5:30 MT	on	Altitude, 950AM

Projected Starters
Nuggets		Heat
Emmanuel Mudiay (R) Gary Harris JaKarr Sampson Kenneth Faried Nikola Jokic (R)		Goran Dragic Joe Johnson Luol Deng Justise Winslow (R) Amar’e Stoudemire

Injury report:

Nuggets: Wilson Chandler – (right hip arthroscopic surgery), Danilo Gallinari – out (two torn lateral ligaments and medial ligament sprain in right ankle)

Heat: Dwyane Wade – questionable (left thigh bruise), Chris Bosh – out (blood clots)

The future is now

It truly is a new day in Denver as the youngsters of the team have been the main engine, powering the team through the current slew of wins.

Mudiay has been given the keys and has matured in front of our eyes, driving into the paint aggressively and finishing with purpose. The confidence he’s gained from scoring on his drives has even seeped into his shot as Mudiay has drained 40.7 percent of his threes in March on a substantial 4.5 attempts per game.

Meanwhile Jokic has been the steadying force, aiding the offensive flow and staying ready to provide a safety valve for whoever needs a finisher, a playmaker or whatever is necessary for that particular possession. The effect of Jokic is absolutely huge as he does so many things that simply don’t show up in the box score, making the right play again and again even if he doesn’t end up with a statistical contribution. Exactly what teams need for a truly cohesive chemistry and something that should make fans extremely excited for as they watch him grow with the young nucleus.

Harris is another crucial piece in the Nuggets youth movement, although less heralded than the two rookies. Ironic since Harris may in fact be the Nuggets’ best two-way player already. With sneaky athleticism and a bull-dog mentality that is any coach’s dream, Harris not only has underrated talent, but also gobs of untapped potential. Seeing the leap that he’s made in just an offseason, it’s hard to not be excited for what Harris can do in the future as he and Mudiay have the possibility of becoming a downright suffocating defensive backcourt.

The Beast has awoken

Although frustrated with the recent lack of minutes Jusuf Nurkic has remained ready and waiting, something that rewarded him greatly as Michael Malone finally put him out on the court for extended minutes last game against the Wizards.

This was due to an ugly Joffrey Lauvergne injury, but it was definitely a sight for sore eyes as Nurkic had an immediate impact, engulfing the paint with his sheer size and causing havoc with his surprisingly quick hands.

Nurkic is at his best when he’s defending the rim and finishing with authority instead of finesse and that’s exactly what the young Bosnian did: