Just 19 games separate the Denver Nuggets and the 2023 postseason. What questions still remain about this Nuggets team? What does the DNVR Nuggets crew want to see out this team over the next couple of weeks? What will be the Nuggets’ record at the end of the season? That and more in the latest Roundtable.
What remaining questions do you have about this team?
Adam Mares: Can they defend. It’s the obvious one but it’s far and away the most important one. There are positive indicators. The Nuggets currently have the second best clutch defense in the NBA. Denver’s starting lineup has a 108.0 DRTG over nearly 1000 possessions. That lineup will be far and away the mosts frequent lineup in the playoffs. But the question remains of whether or not this team can string together 48 minutes of defense, several games in a row.
Harrison Wind: Who should we trust off the bench? I think it’s really the only remaining question about the Nuggets. I know Bruce Brown can be trusted, but who else? That question feels a litt.e murkier now than it did a month or so ago. I trust Christian Braun in big spots. I trust Jeff Green but don’t want him playing in big spots. I think I’ll trust Reggie Jackson. I don’t know about Thomas Bryant. The good thing is the Nuggets have 19 more games to get to the bottom of this question. You also really only have to play 3 guys off the bench in the playoffs.
Brendan Vogt: Everyone is eager to know which and how many bench players will earn a spot in the postseason rotation. But I’d also like to see more convincing wins on the road. Denver has a penchant for the seven-game series, but title runs include some light work on the way. Winning on the road matters, too, even if they have home court advantage in the West.
What do you want to see out of the Jokic/Murray/Porter trio over the next couple of weeks?
Mares: More. I want to see what happens when Jokic turns up the intensity another level or two. I want to see what happens if Murray continues to take (and make) threes at the rate he has been over the last 10 games. And I want to see what Porter looks like if he continues to get stronger and more athletic.
Wind: Balance. That’s what’s so special about the trio right now. They’ve found the perfect equilibrium on the floor. Jokic is playing exactly how he wants to. He’s passing first and scoring second. With this starting five, the amount of firepower in it, and how well it compliments him, Jokic can play the unselfish, brand of basketball that he loves. It allows him to help Murray and Porter go off, which is what’s been happening as of late. If those two don’t have it on a given night, Jokic can then step up and take over. It’s a beautiful partnership between the three. In the playoffs, Jokic, Murray and Porter can naturally take a game over and take on a leading scoring role if that’s what the game dictates. That will happen. In the regular season, the balance that those three have found is ideal.
Vogt: More of the same. I’ve never been more confident in their ability to play together at a high level. Murray’s trust in MPJ is increasing, and the two stars are more willing than ever to turn to Porter in big spots. Everything flows from the two-man game in crunch time, but it’s a balanced approach for three quarters. All a defense can do is hope they miss.
The Nuggets are currently 44-19 with 19 games remaining. What’s Denver’s record at the end of the regular season?
Mares: 57-25. I think they easily secure the 1-seed and coast to the finish line. I think the Bucks will run away with the #1 overall seed in a way that won’t lure the Nuggets into trying to steal it down the stretch.
Wind: Only nine of the Nuggets’ last 19 games are at home. They also have a long five-game Eastern Conference road trip (Toronto, Detroit, New York, Brooklyn, Washington). It’s not the toughest crop of competition but that’s still a long time outside of Denver. With the Nuggets up five games on the Grizzlies for the No. 1 seed, they have some wiggle room and I expect Denver to rest Jokic, and whoever else needs it a lot down the stretch. I think they go 7-2 home and 13-6 overall to cruise to the 1 seed.
Vogt: My preseason prediction was 58 wins, and there’s no reason to back down now. Perhaps Denver has the one seed locked up and chooses to rest starters, but if they want it, the win record is on the table. This group deserves it — they’re as talented and together as any Nuggets team.
