THE LIST: The Denver Nuggets are ramping up their defense

1. The Denver Nuggets turned up their defensive intensity against the Detroit Pistons. It wasn’t just that they help the Pistons under 100 points, the focus and attention to detail was evident from the first quarter until garbage time. Just watch how many rotations, switches, and recoveries take place in the one example below.

2. The starting point for Denver’s defensive rotations is often the team’s back line of defense, in this case, Nikola Jokic. When he properly anticipates and prepares for pick and rolls (PnRs) he allows everyone else to rotate early behind him. Just watch how he meets both screens out on the perimeter before the ball handler has a chance to turn the corner.

3. The one player not locked in on defense in Tuesday’s game was Michael Porter Jr. The rookie showed some signs of improved defensive awareness in January but those flashes of aptitude have all but disappeared.

There seemed to have been three basic stages of Porter’s improvement over the months of December and January: not recognizing the rotation, recognizing the rotation late, and recognizing the rotation on time. In January, Porter was somewhere between the last two stages. Over the last three games, too often he is back at stage one.

4. Porter is also back to square one with regards to reading his cutting angles.

5. Gary Harris, on the other hand, is still a pro at sneaking behind the defender for the layup or jam.

6. Jamal Murray might be the team’s most under rated cutter, especially on cuts immediately following a screen.

7. I love the patience that the Nuggets demonstrated on this possession, as well as the urgency that Paul Millsap injects into the rhythm of the play. The quicker you can make basic reads, the harder it is for defenses to keep up.

8. And when the offense is in rhythm, Jokic starts to unwind and have a little fun.

The Full List