The Nuggets talked a lot about a top-5 defense at training camp this season. It was a defined goal of this team and one that made a lot of sense considering Denver’s defensive-minded offseason acquisitions. The Nuggets know they haven’t been good enough on the defensive end of the floor in the past to win a championship, and becoming a team that can defend in the playoffs is what this summer and this season is about.
That top-5 defense is a fever dream right now. The Nuggets have given up at least 117 points in all four regular season games. They currently have the 28th-ranked defense in the NBA. Opponents are shooting a league-high 50% from the floor against the Nuggets and 78% in the restricted area. That second figure is well above the league-high 69% that opponents shot in the restricted area against Denver last season.
The Nuggets’ latest instance of defensive malpractice came Monday in Portland. The Trail Blazers roasted the Nuggets for 135 points, shot 58% from the field and 46% from 3. Most of that damage came in the second half when Portland knocked in 11-20 from 3-point range and got a 22-point third quarter from Anfernee Simons. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen anyone get hotter.
But Denver’s defense started to slide in the second quarter. Here’s how the Nuggets lost Friday’s game.
This is embarrassing transition defense. I have no idea why Kentavious Caldwell-Pope didn’t pick up Grant.
Right before halftime, Lillard went right through Denver’s entire defense. Most of the Nuggets stood and watched.
No one made much of an effort to get back after this missed Michael Porter Jr. corner 3 on Denver’s first possession of the third quarter. Porter initially walked back on defense after his miss. Aaron Gordon jogged the full length of the floor but was sure to point out — to no one in particular — an uncovered Jerami Grant streaking down the middle of the floor.
This is the type of pick-and-roll defense that Nikola Jokic’s top detractors bring up when claiming that Denver can’t build a good enough playoff defense with him at center to win a championship.
This is when Simons got hot in the third quarter and right after he had just sunk two-straight 3s. Porter gives him way too much room, and that’s exactly what you can see Michael Malone yelling on the Nuggets’ sideline.
Lillard went right, and I mean right around Davon Reed with just a simple hesitation move. This is and example of the 1-on-1 containment issues that have plagued Denver for years.
More awful transition defense from Denver. This isn’t good enough from Bruce Brown, Jamal Murray or Bones Hyland.
It’s just four games, but this isn’t how the Nuggets wanted to start the season. This summer, the Nuggets added Caldwell-Pope and Bruce Brown, who instantly became the best two defenders on Denver’s roster. They drafted Christian Braun and Peyton Watson in the 1st round. It represented what Calvin Booth envisioned as a culture change within the Nuggets. Denver would still be an elite offense. You get that simply by surrounding Nikola Jokic with capable offensive talent. But now, the Nuggets’ defense was good enough to win a championship.
That isn’t manifesting. Denver has the most individual defensive talent of the Jokic era this season, but it hasn’t made a difference through four games. It’s still so early, and the Nuggets could quickly flip the switch. But so far, this is the same Nuggets defense that just wasn’t good enough last season.
