Is Aaron Gordon the key vs. the Suns? It seemed like it in Game 1

This can’t be what Aaron Gordon envisioned when he touched down in Denver after the trade deadline and walked off the tarmac side-by-side with Tim Connelly.

Gordon came to Denver to be the perfect complementary piece alongside the Nuggets’ Big 3. He didn’t need shots. He was perfectly fine getting those within the flow of the offense. Defensively was where he was going to make his mark. He was the perimeter defensive presence that the Nuggets lacked and needed to lift their playoff ceiling even higher.

However, circumstances change, injuries happen, roles are altered, and game plans are tweaked. In the case of the Nuggets, “overhauled” would be a good word to describe just how different Denver’s makeup is now compared to when Jamal Murray, Will Barton and PJ Dozier were in the lineup.

Gordon playing an integral defensive role in a playoff series vs. Phoenix isn’t surprising. He would have done so even if Denver was entering the second-round at full strength. But the forward finishing with the Nuggets’ second-most shot attempts in Denver’s 122-105 Game 1 loss to the Suns?

I didn’t see that coming.

Gordon might have.

It was clear from the Nuggets’ first possession of the first quarter Monday that a large chunk of Denver’s game plan was to get Gordon a mismatch in the post, with that mismatch preferably being Devin Booker. If that scenario played out, Denver wanted Gordon to go at Booker or whoever the smaller defender guarding him was.

On Denver’s first possession that defender was Chris Paul, who unfortunately pulled the chair on Gordon.

Midway through the first, Denver got Jae Crowder — Phoenix’s primary assignment on Gordon in Game 1 — switched off Gordon and Booker switched on. The Nuggets immediately turned their attention to Gordon in the post and he nailed the fadeaway jumper over the smaller Booker.

Denver again found Gordon in the post with Booker guarding him a few possessions into the third. He missed the initial layup and put-back but was able to out-jump Crowder for the rebound and eventually finished.

This Gordon post-up was off a Suns made free-throw later in the third. Denver was again successful in getting the switch with Booker and Facu Campazzo eventually got Gordon the ball. Gordon drew a foul on Booker here.

In the fourth, with the game getting away from Denver, Gordon backed Booker down and went right to the rim in transition once he saw the mismatch.

“I feel like I have a mismatch all the time,” Gordon said postgame. “So I’m just taking advantage of the mismatch.”

There’s surely a method behind this portion of Denver’s game plan. I’m speculating, but getting Booker in foul trouble could be part of the Nuggets strategy. It’s a smart idea, although Booker played 38 minutes and committed only three fouls in Game 1. Trying to tire Booker out would be another solid strategy. Guarding Gordon 1-on-1 in the post is much more taxing than checking Austin Rivers at the three-point arc. Booker shot 4-5 from the floor for 10 points and zero turnovers (he had five in the first half) across quarters three and four.

Nevertheless, the positions the Nuggets put Gordon in Monday got him in a rhythm. It’s a mismatch if Gordon’s guarded by Booker on the block. Gordon’s stronger, taller and longer, and should be able to manufacture a solid look at the rim.

Gordon finished the Game 1 loss with 18 points (8-14 FG’s, 0-3 3FG’s), four rebounds (three offensive), two assists, and three steals in 29 minutes. One of those assists came off a Gordon post-up where he found Michael Porter Jr. curling around the top of the three-point arc for a catch-and-shoot three. Look for Denver to continue to use Gordon as a passer out of the post too.

Gordon was also the only Nuggets starter to finish with a positive plus-minus (+2). His 14 shot attempts tied his regular-season high with the Nuggets and are the second-most shots he’s taken this postseason after getting up 16 field goal attempts in Game 1.

Gordon’s defense on Booker

Now back to what Gordon was brought to Denver to do. Gordon didn’t start Game 1 out on Booker — that was Rivers’ assignment — but he was the Nuggets’ best defender on Phoenix’s two-guard Monday.

This was an elite defensive possession from Gordon early in the first quarter. He switched onto Booker, then cut off his baseline drive, then forced the ball out of Booker’s hands and deflected the pass to Campazzo.

Just before halftime, Gordon smothered Booker on a right-handed drive. Notice how Gordon stayed with Booker after Phoenix tried to engineer a switch with Paul’s man, who was Porter.

This isn’t on Booker, but I had to include it. Gordon flew over from the weak side to block Deandre Ayton and this Suns alley-oop too.

The Nuggets probably don’t want to open games with Gordon guarding Booker. Foul trouble is too big of a worry if Gordon’s shadowing Booker from the opening tip. Plus, Booker wasn’t the only reason why Phoenix pulled away from Denver in the third quarter.

The Nuggets’ offense got stagnant, Denver settled for far too many jumpers, and the Suns capitalized on what looked like a Nuggets defense that looked more and more confused as the second half wore on. Mikal Bridges had 13 points on 5-5 shooting in a third quarter where Phoenix outscored Denver 31-21. Ayton had seven points in the quarter. Booker had just four points and hit one three-pointer in the period.

Still, Booker finished Game 1 with 21 points on a clean 8-12 shooting to go with eight assists, which was a key ingredient to his well-rounded performance. Booker passed the ball beautifully. The Nuggets elected to force the ball out of Booker’s hands on pick-and-rolls and dribble hand-offs, and Booker took advantage of leaky a Denver defense for assists like this.

Michael Malone said his team had a “soft mentality” in Game 1. Denver gave up eight and-1’s and had way too many defensive breakdowns which led to open corner threes. The Suns shot 7-13 on corner threes Monday. Many of those were wide-open looks.

It was somewhat reminiscent of the Nuggets’ Game 1 loss to Portland just over three weeks ago.

“You can choose between those two worlds: soft or scared,” Gordon said. “That’s what it felt like we were playing like.”

Against Portland, the Nuggets went on to punch first in Game 2. There’s no reason to think they won’t again Wednesday. Denver is 2-5 in Game 1’s under Malone. The Nuggets have been here before. They know what it’s like to battle back in a playoff series. They just did so against one of the NBA’s best backcourts.

Ayton is a solid interior presence who has Jokic’s respect, but Denver’s MVP won’t shoot 3-12 in a half over the rest of this series unless fatigue plays a big factor like it may have Monday. Jokic finished with 22 points and nine rebounds but only scored seven points in the second half. Michael Porter Jr. tallied 15 points, 12 of which came over the first two quarters, but saw his minutes cut after halftime due to a tweaked back. Malone postgame said Porter injured himself late in the second quarter and Denver’s coach didn’t think he was moving the same after the break. He’s expected to play in Game 2, per Malone.

If Porter is hampered even a little in Game 3, it puts even more of an onus on Gordon to continue to produce offense and have a portion of Denver’s attack through him. Gordon was one of the Nuggets’ bright spots in Game 2 and the stage is set for him to play a leading role in the series. He didn’t play with the “soft” mentality that Malone felt like some on Denver’s roster did. He took it to Phoenix because that’s what he’s seen the rest of the Nuggets’ locker room do since arriving in Denver. He wanted to punch first.

Unfortunately, most of his teammates didn’t.

“It’s not too concerning,” Gordon said following Game 1. “From the time that I’ve been with this team, I’ve seen how resilient they are, and how tough they are, and just how relentless and ruthless, and how much they get after it, and how they’re just killers on the court.”

“I feel like it was uncharacteristic of us tonight. I feel like we’re going to come out with a different mentality and a different attitude come Game 2.”