1. Lou Williams was a team-best +50 overall through the first 4 games of the series. Known as a microwave scorer but poor defender, the Clippers managed to hold a team-best 96.9 defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) when Williams was on the court over those first 4 games. Over the course of the last two games, the Nuggets…...

In this episode, Adam Mares shares his detailed notes on Denver’s huge win over the Clippers in game 6. Topics include: Denver’s defensive adjustment in the PnR The fragile nature of flow offense Why did the Nuggets collapse to end the 2nd quarter? Denver’s 3rd quarter rally How a gutsy call from Michael Malone won the game

1. The challenge Gary Harris has as the backside defender in the PnR. https://youtu.be/VAiBzaavvyU 2. The inconsistency of Michael Porter Jr. as the backside defender in the PnR. https://youtu.be/-ai7CY3mbqo 3. I love how Nikola Jokic splits his feet on the catch before making this beautiful spin move. https://youtu.be/3dFx9fF7GRg 4. The Nuggets are having a hard time opening up the paint…...

In this episode, Adam Mares dives deep into the details of game 4 and talks about why the failures in that game were the logical endpoint for a season that has building towards this for almost a full calendar year.

In this episode, George Karl sits down with Adam Mares to share his thoughts on the second round playoff series between the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Clippers. Topics include: Can Nikola Jokic be the best player in this series? Has he been so far? The Clippers’ strategy in the 4th quarter Why don’t the Nuggets get to the…

In this episode, George Karl shares his thoughts on the Denver Nuggets’ first round series win over the Utah Jazz and helps preview the upcoming series against the Los Angeles Clippers. Topics include: What adjustments allowed for the Denver Nuggets to get back into this series? Has your impression of Jamal Murray changed over the course of this series? Was…

1. On recent episodes of the DNVR Nuggets podcast, I’ve talked about the impact Nikola Jokic can have on Donovan Mitchell’s pull-up three-point shooting by providing the facade of defense when he plays higher up the court on ball screens. Below is a great example of that. Jokic isn’t really contesting this shot, but it at least gives Mitchell a…...

In this notebook edition of the DNVR Nuggets podcast, Adam Mares takes you through all of the details from game 6 and shares his perspective on what things the Nuggets can expect to improve upon in game 7 as well as what things they can expect to regress in game 7.

In this episode, I share my notes on the two biggest adjustments the Denver Nuggets made in game 5 and how they can carry over into game 6. The first is the way the Nuggets defended the PnR in the 4th quarter. Who was on the court, what did the Nuggets emphasize, and how will the Jazz counter? Second is…

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…...

In this episode, Adam Mares, Harrison Wind, and Brendan Vogt discuss the timeline of events that led to the player’s strike against the NBA and the NBA postponing playoff games. We then try to look at what this means for the NBA, for sports, and for the intersection of professional sports and society. Does the strike change the balance of…

A not-so-fun statistic to jumpstart today’s edition of the list: The Utah Jazz have the NBA’s #1 offense since Christmas Eve. That was true before the NBA arrived inside of the Orlando bubble but it has only become more true as they have carved up the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs. So perhaps it isn’t that much of…...

In this episode, Adam Mares shares his detailed notes on game 4 of the Nuggets-Jazz series. How much of Utah’s hot shooting should be attributed to Denver’s defense? And what things allowed for Denver to regain their offensive rhythm? Topics include: Jamal Murray alongside a point guard Playing through Millsap Jokic’s three-point shot Utah’s absurd shooting numbers Foul trouble and…

In this episode, George Karl shares his perspective on the challenges facing the Denver Nuggets through three games of their first round playoff series with the Utah Jazz. Topics include: The complicated identity of the Denver Nuggets inside the bubble Adjustments he would make to the starting lineup Playing small Playing big How much of coaching is understanding player psychology?…

1. The first video on today’s edition of THE LIST is courtesy of Gibson Pyper, the curator of the fantastic YouTube channel, Half Court Hoops. He highlights the exact wrinkle that the Utah Jazz have utilized to demolish the Denver Nuggets in both games one and two and the various ways in which the Nuggets have tried to stop it.…...

In this episode I share my detailed notes on game two including the central question to this series so far: can Denver stop Utah’s unstoppable PnR play? Also: Is a change to the starting lineup in order? Involving Michael Porter Jr. more in the handoff game Jamal Murray vs. Royce O’Neale Utah using Morgan on Jokic Torrey Craig, defensive stopper?…

1. Here is a great example of Michael Porter Jr. can put pressure on the defense when he brings the ball up the court. https://youtu.be/a6b_pyGcXHo 2. The Utah Jazz do a great job of disguising their screens. In this clip, Donovan Mitchell catches Michael Porter Jr. by surprise when he appears to be cutting through to the corner before diving right…...

In this episode, Adam Mares shares a few detailed notes from a 3rd viewing of game one including a healthy dose of optimism from Michael Porter Jr. and Nikola Jokic. In the final two segments, he looks at the improvements and adjustments Denver can make to help them win game two as well as the regressions or mistakes that could…

How can the Nuggets advance past the Jazz? It probably comes down to how Denver defends and how Utah shoots the three.