Three takeaways after the first three Denver Nuggets games of the year

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The Denver Nuggets, now 1-2 after three games, have started the season well in many ways but have also shown there is still plenty of room to grow. After beating the New Orleans Pelicans, in spite of Anthony Davis nearly having a 5×5 game with an unholy 50 points, the Nuggets then lost to both the Portland Trailblazers and the Toronto Raptors after owning a lead late in the 4th quarter of each game. Add in the injuries to Will Barton, Gary Harris, and Darrell Arthur and there is a lot going on in the Mile High City. Here are three takeaways from the three games thus far.

The Denver Nuggets are struggling to score in the 4th quarter

The 4th quarter has been a strange time for the Denver Nuggets through three games. They have now lost two leads late in the final frame and have been desperately trying to find a way to score. The numbers could not be more interesting.

Nuggets 4th quarter stats through 3 games (league rank):

28.8 FG% (30)
ORtg: 70.7 (30)
DRTG: 85.0 (5) !!!

— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) November 1, 2016

Over three separate 4th quarters, the Nuggets are shooting an atrocious 28.8 percent from the field with an equally awful offensive rating of 70.7. The Nuggets have played mostly Mudiay, Barton, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, and Kenneth Faried to close out games while both Nikola Jokic and Jusuf Nurkic continue to ride the bench.

That script finally changed when Jokic played the majority of the overtime period against the Trailblazers for the Nuggets’ home opener and when Nurkic played every last minute of the 4th quarter against the Raptors. Having two of the brightest and young centers in the NBA on the Nuggets roster is a luxury no other team has. Malone needs to find a way to play at least one of the two to close out games. The numbers show playing small to end games is not the most effective way to finish for this team.

The Nuggets have two of the most promising centers in the association and, hopefully, we begin to see more of at least one of the two on the court to finish games. Both are plus passers and can shoot from distance so the addition of either to the closing lineup should do wonders for the offense ineptitude currently displayed.

It is Jamal Murray’s time to prove himself

After Will Barton sprained his ankle, as broken down by Harrison Wind here, Nuggets rookie Jamal Murray is the next in line to see a substantial boost in playing time.

The Nuggets are now dangerously thin in their backcourt. Gary Harris has yet to complete an entire practice, a prerequisite for his return. While it seems like Harris is close to returning, there is still no solid timetable on when we will see him play meaningful minutes, let alone start. With only Jameer Nelson, Emmanuel Mudiay, Murray, Malik Beasley, and, potentially Wilson Chandler or Mike Miller filling spot minutes at the off guard position, it seems that the Nuggets have almost no other choice than to play Murray big minutes for the next few games.

Regardless of whether head coach Michael Malone elects to start Jameer Nelson alongside Emmanuel Mudiay, or potentially bring Wilson Chandler into the starting lineup to create a massive starting five, or throw Murray into the fire of a four-game road trip, as a starter, only a meager three games into his NBA career, is yet to be determined. One thing is for sure: Murray has a chance to prove himself when the team needs him most.

With Barton out for the foreseeable future, the Nuggets are going to lack an additional playmaker in the backcourt. The Nuggets have said time and time again they see Murray as a player who can operate at both guard positions and create for himself and others. His fit next to Mudiay seems ideal considering his lights-out shooting and ability to handle the ball in the pick and roll. Murray will have ample opportunity with the ball in his hands and the Nuggets need him to make the most of his playing time if they hope to finish out the first ten games of the season with a positive record.

Malone has said he wants to get Murray minutes and he does not want Murray’s rookie season to mirror what Harris went through during his rookie year. Murray will have ups and downs of epic proportions being that he is only 19-years-old but if the Nuggets do see Murray as a future cornerstone of the franchise and Malone does, truly, want to get him minutes then the time is now for Murray to begin making his mark.

Mudiay still struggling

There was loads of hope surrounding the 20-year-old point guard coming into his second year and, to this point, Mudiay has not lived up to those expectations. Last seasons his biggest issues were his jump shot and his ability to limit turnovers.

So far this season, Mudiay is shooting 33 percent from both three-point range and the field. He is turning the ball over far too often, to the tune of 4.3 turnovers per game, and has continued struggling to score at the rim. Even on defense, where he has the tools to manhandle most point guards, he has seemed passive and unengaged.

Whether this has to do with the lack of spacing of playing alongside the seven-foot Balkan Buddies or if Mudiay just has a lot farther to go developmentally is yet to be seen. What is factual is the same issues that plagued him in his rookie year seem to still be the same issues slowing him in his sophomore campaign. The talk of his uninspiring play has progressed from whispers to blatant questioning of if he can ever reach his potential. Mudiay needs to have a game where he silences the doubters and puts his ability back on full display. With three of the next four games on this road trip, Mudiay has a chance to prove himself against teams that made the playoffs last year.