The Denver Nuggets face the Memphis Grizzlies tonight at Pepsi Center. Michael Malone spoke at shoot around on a variety of topics. Here we’ll focus on three items: what he said about Jusuf Nurkic, how to score against a tough Grizzlies interior defense and the team’s best off ball mover in Gary Harris.
Malone on Nurkic heading into tonight’s Grizzlies game
Malone: He looked good. I know he was champing at the bit to play last game. I just didn’t feel, having not done anything for six days, that it was right to put him out there — for him but also for some of the other guys. Like [Joffrey Lauvergne], who had been working so hard, I think Joffrey deserved the minutes that he got last game against Oklahoma City.
But Nurk looked good. Once we got good news from the doctor that he was okay to play, I think that gave him some relief mentally and he decided to get out there tonight to bang against [the Grizzlies] big guys.
How can the Nuggets navigate the paint against one of the best interior defenses?
Malone: One thing is pace. [The Grizzlies] want a very slow, controlled, walk it up, physical half court game; they’ve proven over the years to be very effective at doing that. So, the big thing for us is can we create pace on makes and misses? Score before they get set and crowd that paint. They do a great job of not only shrinking the floor and protecting their paint, but creating steals. Teams get caught over-dribbling, trying to make plays in the paint. They have very active hands and they will run off those turnovers.
To me, very simply stated, this game will come down to: Can we create pace? Can we control the basketball? Can we defend them in the post? Lastly, can we finish off our defense with a rebound? Last game against them, they hurt us on the glass fourth quarter. Last game for us, against OKC, fourth quarter [Nuggets were hurt on defensive glass by Enes Kanter and Steven Adams].
Malone on off ball movement – specifically Gary Harris
Malone: That’s something, all kidding aside, we work on a lot. We really try to make it a point of emphasis. Make the ball see you, move on penetration, move without the basketball and Gary has taken it to another level. He’s become our best off ball mover, and he’s gotten rewarded. So, human nature: If I keep on cutting I’m getting layup after layup, I’m going to keep doing it.
Among wing players with > 50 possessions cutting to the hoop, Harris ranks second at 1.44 PPP https://t.co/p3CcdLMlHI
— Harrison Wind (@NBAWind) January 21, 2016
We have to get some other guys looking to do the same thing, as well. We have a lot of guys that stand around and ball-watch, at times — which makes yourself easy to guard. Gary is a tough cover because he can shoot it, he can put it on the ground, but he’s always looking to move and cut without the basketball. A lot of credit for Gary for taking what we’ve worked on and putting it into a game situation.
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Malone also reference off-ball movement in regards to the Grizzlies — Courtney Lee, Mike Conley and Matt Barnes specifically. Harris shares the floor with ball-dominant players like Emmanuel Mudiay, Jameer Nelson, Danilo Gallinari and Will Barton — and that’s not even mentioning post touches for the big guys like Jusuf Nurkic, Nikola Jokic and Kenneth Faired.
The Nuggets also seem to be running plays designed for Harris to make backdoor cuts.
Play 1: Backdoor screen for Gary Harris vs. Heat:
Here we see Gallinari set a screen for Harris behind the play. Notice how Harris could be coming up to the ball (which Mudiay possesses) for a handoff, but he uses the screen to cut to the hoop. Mudiay dishes the ball to Jokic (who is very comfortable as a distributor out of the high post), who finds the wide open Harris cutting to the rim. Pretty play against a tough Miami defense.
Play 2: Harris moving without the ball on the baseline vs. Warriors:
On this play, the Nuggets are moving all over the floor — trying to cause as much confusion as possible for the Golden State Warriors defense. Notice that when Jokic gets the ball, Harris recognizes that Andre Iguodala is ball-watching in case he needs to help in the post, and Harris just attacks the baseline and gets rewarded with the ball for the layup.
Gary Harris’ 2015-16 shot chart from NBA.com.
With Mudiay averaging 7.4 drives per game (tied for 28th in the league), Nelson 6.3 (39th), Barton 5.5 (47th) and Gallinari 4.8 (60th), it’s up to guys like Harris to give them options as either catch-and-shoot targets on the perimeter or as cutters near the rim when the defense collapses on the ball-handler.
Of the 11.1 points per game that Harris is scoring in his sophomore season, he’s averaging 2.1 points on drives to the hoop — where he ranks 89th in the league with 3.6 drives per game. If you take the 1.3 threes he makes a game to mean 3.9 points per game there, and his 1.2 per game free throws made — that leaves 7.2 points per game coming for Harris off jumpers or these cuts to the rim.
That all bodes well for the young Nuggets guard, who is blossoming under Michael Malone.
