Nuggets looking to build confidence in Brooklyn versus Nets

The Denver Nuggets have yet to find a rhythm five games into the young 2017-18 NBA season. They have looked clunky on offense and, even with increased aggression and effort, Denver is still an inconsistent defensive team. The Nuggets have an opportunity to start their first winning streak of the year on Sunday afternoon at Barclays Center against a Brooklyn Nets team that Denver should be able to beat, even on the road.

The new-look Nets are 3-3 on the season and surprising teams with their offensive output behind the smoldering-hot start from newly acquired D’Angelo Russell, who is putting up 21.4 points per game to go with four rebounds and 4.6 assists. Brooklyn is third in the league with 115.3 points per game and has scored 112 points or more in five of their first six games including a 131 point outburst in a loss to the Indiana Pacers to start the season.

Defensively, the Nets are bordering on atrocious, as was expected.  They are allowing opposing teams to score 117.3 points per game against them, which is second-worst in the Association while allowing teams to shoot 35.2 percent from three on nearly 30 attempts per game. Add in the 16.8 turnovers per game that the Nets average and you have a recipe for disaster defensively.

While the Nuggets are coming off of a 105-100 win versus the Hawks in Paul Millsap’s return to Atlanta, the Nets are coming off of their worst loss of the season in a 107-86 drubbing from the New York Knicks, who the Nuggets play at Madison Square Garden a day after taking on Brooklyn. The Nets are looking to bounce back at home while the Nuggets are looking to find a sense of cohesion after starting the season looking unsettled and discombobulated.

[columns]
[column size=”1/2″]Nuggets Starters

Jamal Murray
Gary Harris
Wilson Chandler
Paul Millsap
Nikola Jokic[/column]
[column size=”1/2″]Nets Starters

D’Angelo Russell
Caris LeVert
DeMarre Carroll
Ronda Hollis-Jefferson
Timofey Mozgov[/column]
[/columns]

The Nuggets matchup with the Nets provides a few interesting storylines. Can Denver’s offense get on track against a bad Nets defense? Can Murray find his footing with the starting unit and find a way to produce? How will the Nuggets new aggressive defensive philosophy respond to the versatile Brooklyn offense? There will a lot to look for in the Nuggets matchup with the Nets.

Can Denver’s offense get into a groove?

After an underwhelming start to the 2017-18 NBA season, the usually lethal Nuggets offense is looking more lethargic than exhilarating. Denver is only scoring 98.8 points per game so far which is a far cry from the 111.7 points per game they were scoring last season. Not only is the offense less productive, but all the joy that was the staple of the Nuggets style of play has disappeared.

A lot of the Nuggets’ offensive woes are a reflection of turning the ball over 17.4 times each game but the chemistry and overall fluidity of the offense have been lacking even when valuing the ball. The biggest reason for Denver’s difficulties on offense stem back to Millsap and Jokic struggling to mesh together. The spacing has been bad in the first five games and it has led to Denver taking significantly more shots from the mid-range as opposed to getting mostly layups and three-pointers as they did last year.

Being that the Nets have very few defenders that will be able to match-up with the Nuggets roster, Denver has an opportunity to build some confidence and cohesion on the road against the Nets. Denver will be relying on their offense all year in their pursuit of the playoffs and the way they have played thus far will not cut it. Look for a large emphasis to be put on getting the Nuggets back on track offensively.

Will Jamal Murray break out of his shooting slump?

To say Murray has been a let down to start the season would be an understatement. Murray’s calling card coming into the league as the Nuggets seventh overall selection in the first round in 2016 was shooting. So far to start the season Murray has been one of the worst shooters in all of basketball.

Murray is shooting just 17-59 from the field which equates out to an atrocious 28.8 percent. From three-point distance, he is even worse. Murray has missed his last 18 three-point attempts and is shooting just 2-21 from deep this year, good for an abysmal 9.5 percent from beyond the arc. He has not made a three-pointer since the opening night of the season which will be eleven total days by the time the Nuggets tip off against the Nets.

For Denver’s offense to get back on track they need Murray to break out of his shooting funk and, thankfully, he will be matched up against Russell who is not exactly known as a competent defender. If Murray is able to break out of his shooting slump it will go a long way towards improving the Nuggets struggling offense.

Can Denver’s aggressive defense slow Brooklyn’s dynamic offense?

To start the new NBA season, Denver’s defense has shown improvement even with a small sample size. They have altered the pick and roll scheme to become more aggressive and get the bigs playing up on the perimeter more often to pressure ball-handlers at the point of attack.

The Nuggets are forcing two more turnovers a game compared to last season and are allowing just 100.8 points per game, good for eighth best in the league, which is a 10.4 decrease in points allowed from last season. Yes, this is over a small sample of five games but it shows that the new defensive scheme is taking hold.

Denver will get to test their new attacking-style defense against Brooklyn’s dynamic high pick-and-roll offense spearheaded by D’Angelo Russell. The Nets are seventh in the Association in offensive rating but are also turnover-prone which should play right into the Nuggets’ new defensive scheme.

Injury Report

Juancho Hernangomez (mononucleosis) OUT

Jeremy Lin (knee) OUT

Quincy Acy (shoulder) OUT

DeMarre Carroll (ankle) QUESTIONABLE