Nuggets turn focus to "disjointed" starting lineup in final two preseason matchups

The highly-anticipated preseason debut of the Nuggets’ vaunted starting lineup didn’t live up to its billing.

Denver’s first five of Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Will Barton, Paul Millsap and Nikola Jokic outscored the Perth Wildcats by just one point in the roughly 19 minutes they spent on the floor together in Friday’s 96-88 preseason win. The lineup’s debut was cut short midway through the third quarter when Paul Millsap was disqualified after back-to-back technical fouls, and overall, the group didn’t pop in the same way it did last season.

With just two preseason games remaining before opening night in Los Angeles against the Clippers on Oct. 17, Nuggets coach Michael Malone’s main focus this week is ensuring his five starters get on the same page.

“Our starting group is somewhat disjointed,” Malone said. “Part of that is Gary didn’t play the first two games. Jamal missed the second game. The first game was against Perth when they all played together. Last two games, give them an opportunity, some time to create that chemistry, that synergy on the court.”

The synergy Malone wants his starting five to find was on display a year ago. Murray, Harris, Barton, Millsap and Jokic played 65 minutes together. When that group was on the floor, Denver outscored its opponent 179-126 across 16 games. The Nuggets’ ninth-most used lineup from last season averaged 121.8 points per 100 possessions while surrendering just 88.1 points per 100 possessions. Last year it was the most efficient five-some in the league that logged at least 50 minutes.

Against Perth, Denver’s starting lineup only flashed its chemistry in spurts.

Forget about Harris’ airball on this early first quarter possession and instead focus on what happens next. Jokic and Harris perform a perfectly executed dribble-hand-off before a flurry of passes, where every Nuggets player touches the ball while passing up good shots for better shots, eventually leading to a Barton three.

But many of Denver’s offensive possessions against Perth involving its starting five weren’t as pretty.

Friday was the first time this preseason that Murray, Harris, Barton, Millsap and Jokic appeared on the court together. Understandably, that group was a bit rusty. The Nuggets’ timing was off when feeding cutters. Passes intro traffic were a split-second late.

The Nuggets stood and watched too often on the offensive end versus Perth. The typical constant motion that’s an essential component to Denver’s read-and-react offense wasn’t there.

Denver’s starting five should be fine. There was enough of a sample size last season to determine that the gaudy plus-minus numbers that group put up was no fluke. They might not outscore their opponent by that many points this season but they should be one of the better starting fives in the league, at least on the offensive end of the floor.

“We’re all so talented, it’s easy to play off one another,” Barton said about playing alongside Murray, Harris, Millsap and Jokic. “We all have high basketball IQ’s, we all can shoot, we all can handle it, and we all can pass. When the whole five can do that it’s hard to guard and we kind of play off one another. I feel like the more we keep getting minutes together, we’ll be even more assertive and stop worrying about stepping on each other’s toes and worry about who’s doing this and who’s doing that. It will just come natural.”

Friday’s win over Perth was Harris’ first game back after a strained hamstring sidelined the shooting guard for Denver’s first two preseason matchups. Murray is just getting over an ankle injury that limited him for the past few weeks. Jokic jammed his right index finger in an open gym prior to training camp. It’s still sore and continues to affect his play.

Jokic is shooting 11-23 from the field through three preseason games but is just 2-12 on jumpers outside of 8 feet.

“I need to fight through it,” Jokic told BSN Denver regarding his finger.

Collectively, the Nuggets haven’t shot the ball well from three-point range. Denver is hitting just 34 percent of its threes this preseason after shooting 37.1 percent from distance last year, the seventh-best mark in the league.

Malone was hoping that the Nuggets’ starting lineup would rekindle their chemistry against Perth. Instead, the Nuggets will have to wait until Tuesday’s matchup against the Clippers or Friday’s preseason finale against the Bulls to get on the same page.

Denver will likely play its starters close to regular minutes versus the Clippers, but don’t expect Denver to show its typical gameplan this time around. The two teams meet again in eight days, and Malone and his staff have talked about not tipping their opening night hand to Los Angeles this time around.

Chicago should serve as a dress rehearsal for Denver and the final chance for the Nuggets’ to get their starting five in order before the start of the regular season

“Our starting group, there’s just something not there right now,” Malone said. “And I hope in these last two games we can find a way to get it or get as close to it as possible.”