The Nuggets are 9-4 and riding a five-game winning streak after their 124-95 win over the Trail Blazers Sunday at Ball Arena aka the Munder Dome where Denver has held five-straight opponents under 100 points.
Here’s what we learned about the Nuggets after an (almost) perfect five-game homestand.
All of a sudden, Denver’s offense is clicking
Over their last five games — and since they lost their best shooter and projected second-leading scorer coming into the season to injury — the Nuggets are the 4th-best offense in the NBA. Putting 124 points on the Blazers in by far and away Denver’s best offensive game of the season that also came without Will Barton — the Nuggets’ second-leading scorer this season — certainly helped that ranking a lot, but Denver’s offense was already trending up prior to Sunday night.
My take on the offense is pretty simple. Regardless of how many 3s the Nuggets are getting to fall, there’s been more rhythm and flow to Denver’s half-court and transition attack as of late. There’s been more connectivity and chemistry within the Nuggets’ offense than there was earlier this season.
I asked Malone postgame if he’s noticed that trend too. He said yes and first pointed out that Denver has cut down on its turnovers. The Nuggets averaged a league-high 18.8 turnovers per game over their first six games. But throughout their last seven matchups, Denver has the best turnover percentage in the league and is averaging just 10.6 giveaways per game. Fewer turnovers can definitely lead to more offensive rhythm. Malone also credited the rhythm and flow that Bones Hyland has been able to get the bench into since he entered the rotation full-time. More on him in a little.
Monte Morris thinks it has to do with the Nuggets just getting more comfortable with their personnel.
“We just really are figuring out our spots, knowing that everybody is interchangeable, anybody can bring it up (the floor),” Morris said. “At first, we didn’t really know our spots like that. But now we’re not looking weird when Jeff (Green) or Aaron (Gordon) bring it up. We just gogot to our spots and flow regular.”
Morris brings up Jeff Green, which is another part of the equation when looking at Denver’s recent offensive uptick. After Porter hurt his back in the first quarter vs. the Rockets back on Nov. 6, Green took his place in the starting lineup. Since then, Denver’s starting five has absolutely cooked on offense. The Morris-Barton-Porter-Gordon-Jokic starting lineup posted only a 104.7 Offensive Rating in 170 minutes through the first nine games of the season. In the three games that the Morris-Barton-Jeff Green-Gordon-Jokic lineup has played together since Porter’s injury, they’ve registered a monster 138.1 Offensive Rating in 44 minutes.
It’s a small sample but the rhythm that group has gotten into has been obvious. Defensively, that lineup has been a tad worse than the Nuggets’ opening night starting five, but not by much. Denver is still the No. 2 ranked defense in the NBA.
Let’s drill down further.
The Jeff Green-Gordon-Jokic frontcourt has the No. 1 Net Rating in the NBA out of the 599 3-man lineups that have played at least 75 minutes together this season. That trio has a 130.2 ORtg, a 92.9 DRtg and a 37.2 NetRtg in 79 minutes. Malone indicated postgame that playing Jeff Green and Jokic together will be a priority going forward.
Here’s what Jokic said Sunday about playing more minutes with Jeff Green.
“I like it. Me and him, we are talking defensively. We are helping each other. It means a lot when a guy (has) played a lot of meaningful minutes. He knows how to read the game. It’s easy to play with him.”
Look, the Nuggets’ ceiling is at its highest when Porter is on the floor. Denver probably needs him to get back to the player he was last year if the Nuggets want to chase a championship this season. He needs to be the starter when he gets back in the lineup. But there’s something to him being out and Denver’s offense catching a rhythm with Green, a 13-year-veteran who has fit cleanly into a complementary role in the Nuggets’ Jokic Ball system, in his place.
I’ve seen enough — Denver’s defense is for real
I never thought I’d see the Nuggets hold five-straight opponents under 100 points. I figured it was impossible. But offenses league-wide getting off to slow starts this season, the increased physicality this year, and Denver’s suffocating defense to open the season have made that a reality.
The Nuggets have now held all eight visiting teams at Ball Arena this season under 100 points. It’s Denver’s longest such streak since March 2005. The Nuggets have also held 10 of their 13 opponents under 100 points this season, which is the most in the NBA. The three opponents to score over 100 were Utah (when Jokic got hurt and left the game at halftime) and Memphis (twice).
Gordon is obviously a huge reason why. He’s had outstanding defensive showings against Luka Doncic, Trae Young, and others already this year. But don’t sleep on the defense Jokic is playing. The Nuggets are the second-best defense in the NBA and Denver is 12 points better per 100 possessions defensively when Jokic is on the floor this season. His defense needs to be talked about more.
Morris said Sunday that because Jokic watches so much film, he routinely yells out opponent’s plays before they happen.
“He’s an easy mark because he’s not the shot-blocking, athletic guy that’s making highlight plays at the rim,” Malone said Sunday. “Well, I think you have to look at the block he had at the end of the game (vs. Houston) to help us win the other night. His hand-eye coordination. He’s top-10 in contested shots per game. Around the basket, he’s not going to be an above-the-rim shot-blocker, so he can use angles, he can use his body, he can use the rule of verticality to be a really impactful defender.”
“You know, if you have the No. 2 defense in the NBA after 13 games — Nikola’s the anchor of our defense — he’s doing something right. People put him in a million pick-and-rolls. We’re much more versatile with how we guard pick-and-rolls than we have been in the past, giving different looks, and he really has adjusted to that and gotten comfortable with that. I think he’s been outstanding on the defensive end.”
Bones Hyland has arrived
Hyland led the Nuggets’ bench in minutes Sunday with 23 and has logged more than 20 minutes in four of his last six games. He’s only going to play more as the season moves along. Hyland is the real deal. I’m absolutely convinced of that after watching him in the rotation for the last two weeks.
He’s already proven that he can break down NBA defenses and get to the rim, play-make for others, and finish around the basket. Now, his shot is starting to fall. Hyland has gone 9 of his last 20 from 3 after starting the year cold from beyond the arc. Teammates love playing with him and he’s gaining Malone’s trust. His presence has also pretty much single-handily changed the complexion and the dynamic of Denver’s bench unit, which couldn’t get out of its own way to start the season.
Hyland’s current stats look awfully familiar to the last point guard that came through Denver’s development pipeline and also came off the bench his rookie year.
Bones Hyland’s rookie averages: 17.1 minutes, 9.1 pts (41.3 FG%, 35.3 3P%), 2.1 rebs, 2.3 asts
Jamal Murray’s rookie averages: 21.5 minutes, 9.9 pts (40.4 FG%, 33.4 3P%), 2.6 rebs, 2.1 asts
I mean, the kid looked like Allen Iverson when he put Larry Nance on skates Sunday. His future is so bright.
Sheesh pic.twitter.com/XUvdSe9a9i
— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) November 15, 2021
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gicuenitro
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