The final battlegrounds for the Denver Nuggets

1. Lou Williams was a team-best +50 overall through the first 4 games of the series. Known as a microwave scorer but poor defender, the Clippers managed to hold a team-best 96.9 defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) when Williams was on the court over those first 4 games.

Over the course of the last two games, the Nuggets have targeted Williams when the Nuggets are on offense, placing him in as many pick and rolls (PnR) as they can by using a tactic that the Utah Jazz used to force him into the center of the action. The results have been that the Clippers are bleeding 117.6 points per 100 possessions with Williams on the court including an absolute bludgeoning in the 4th quarter of game 6.

2. Paul George has done a great job of crowding Jamal Murray’s space in the PnR and taking away Murray’s ability to step into a pull-up jump shot off of the screen. One counter that Murray found in game 6 was reading when George jumps the screen and doubling back away from the screen toward the basket.

3. Below is a great example of the Nuggets executing both of the points highlighted in #1 and #2 of this list.

4. The Nuggets have done a nice job of throwing bodies at Kawhi Leonard when he attacks into the paint out of the PnR in an effort to keep him away from the rim. They’ve also had Nikola Jokic overload the strong side late in the shot clock to wall off of the paint and dare the Clippers’ stars to complete skip passes to role players.

5. They’ve also done a great job x-ing out on backside rotations. Watch how Gary Harris fully commits to tagging the role man out of the PnR, how Jamal Murray covers for him by running out at the corner, and how Harris recovers by switching out onto Murray’s man on the wing.

6. Michael Porter Jr. still makes his fair share of mistakes but he has improved by leaps and bounds by anticipating the backside rotations out of the PnR. Expect the Clippers to test jow how much he has improved in that area in game 7.

7. This was a phenomenal ATO from Michael Malone and his coaching staff to open the 4th quarter. The Nuggets had missed a half dozen opportunities to take the lead to end the 3rd quarter. Malone made things easy on the team with this great back screen from Murray that opened up a layup for Torrey Craig.

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