Nuggets need Nikola Jokic at his best in order to tame Grizzlies

The Denver Nuggets are looking to pick up some positive momentum against the Memphis Grizzlies in a matinee matchup at the Pepsi Center. Denver holds a 1.5 game lead for the eighth seed so winning at home is an absolute necessity this time of year.

The Nuggets have won nine of their last 11 home games and are looking to continue that trend and secure a statement win over the Grizzlies. Memphis is currently the sixth seed in the Western Conference and are looking for their first win since the All-Star break after losing to the Indiana Pacers Friday.

Regular season game No. 59 | Denver Nuggets (26-32) vs Memphis Grizzlies (34-25)

Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado | 3:00 PM MST | TV: Altitude

Getting Nikola Jokic back on track

After scoring 10+ points in 22 straight games Jokic has scored just four and two points respectively over his last two outings. The culprit could be fatigue as Jokis has stated that he didn’t get much of a rest during the All-Star break. Jokic has been in a funk and the Nuggets need him to snap out of it if they hope to continue to build their lead for the eighth seed and secure a playoff berth.

Teams have been playing Jokic differently as of late and are now doing what they can to cut off passing lanes to cutters and blitzing any dribble hand-off set to limit his effectiveness. Marc Gasol will likely play him the same way that the Kings and Nets have since the All-Star break and see if taking away Jokic’s ability as a passer will throw the rest of his offensive game off its axis.

Look for Michael Malone to get Jokic early touches in the high post and do what he can to get Jokic back into a groove. If the Nuggets are in line for a playoff birth this season it will come behind the play of their up-and-coming star center.

Getting Jokic back to the player who averaged 23.9 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game in January should be priority No. one. Thanks to the performance of Mason Plumlee, who narrowly missed a triple-double against Brooklyn posting 12 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists, Jokic played just 14 minutes and should be rested coming into the matchup with Gasol and the Grizzlies. Look for Jokic to come out of the gates with energy.

Footnotes

Kenneth Faried left the Nuggets victory with back spasms and did not return. With him out the Nuggets gave the minutes at the power forward position to Darrell Arthur as well as Wilson Chandler. Look for one of the two to start in his place if he is unable to play.

Emmanuel Mudiay saw just five minutes of playing time after the game was out of reach and it seems Denver is all in on seeing how Jamal Murray plays as the primary backup point guard. Expect to see very little Mudiay as long as the game is close.