The Denver Nuggets have a lot of guys still figuring out their role

THE LIST is a film study deep dive on the Denver Nuggets. Below are the plays that I found to be the most interesting from the last two Denver Nuggets games.

1. One of the things going on with Gary Harris right now is that he doesn’t seem to know where his offense should come from. The three examples below highlight how he is hunting for some of the worst types of shots.

2. I’ve talked about C Corner more than any other play in the playbook over the last few seasons but that is because each year it becomes more interesting and dynamic. It happens to be the play that best involves all three of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr. into a single action and should easily generate a lot of wide open looks at the basket and in the corners. But the Nuggets need Harris and Paul Millsap to be able to complete basic reads when the defense starts to overplay.

3. Here is a good example of how the ball can get poppin by running a set play and flowing right into a react offense. One of the challenges of the season will be each player on the roster learning where their shots come from. There are reasons for each player to go away from whatever set play has been called; the defense is overplaying you, they are leaving you open, or your defender is in foul trouble. But learning when to attack and when to trust that the play will either create an open shot or flow right into a continuity offense is going to be a key for Michael Porter Jr.’s success as well as the success of the Denver Nuggets as a whole.

4. Serge Ibaka and Nicholas Batum make the Los Angeles Clippers different in a way that makes them especially dangerous against the Nuggets.

5. Here is another example of Michael Porter not reading the court quickly enough.

6. And here is an example of Porter picking the wrong spot to be aggressive and go away from the offense.

7. Porter is probably the quickest leaper in Denver’s front court. He’s also nimble enough to stretch into the corner quickly if his man commits and there is an opening going away from the hoop. For those reasons, I like him in the dunker spot from time to time. Will happen more and more as he plays more power forward.

8. Everyone on the Nuggets makes mistakes on the defensive end but Porter Jr. is the one who misses reads this badly. Okay, maybe Bol Bol.

9. Like Porter and Harris, PJ Dozier needs to learn where he sits on the totem pole.

10. See #8.

11. I loved this play from Jokic in the 4th quarter of game 1.

12. Michael Malone mentioned Hartenstein as one of the guys that he believes gives appropriate effort. He’s only playing 10 minutes per game right now but he plays all 10 of those minutes with this level of energy.

The Full List