"We relaxed": The Nuggets still haven't shaken their old habits

For all the changes that the Nuggets said they went through this offseason — from the seven fresh faces that arrived in town last month to the analytical-friendly adjustments that were going to lead to more threes — Denver sure seemed like the same regular season team that it was last year during Wednesday’s season opener.

It’s not like that’s a bad thing. The Nuggets were the second-best team in the West last season and Denver’s 2020 playoff run to the Western Conference Finals concluded one of the most successful seasons in franchise history. But with expectations at an all-time high entering this season, the Nuggets’ 124-122 overtime loss to the Kings left you wanting a lot more.

Like last season, Denver played down to an inferior opponent. No disrespect to the Kings, who played harder than the Nuggets did for most of Wednesday night, but Denver let an up-and-down first half bleed over into its own 12 minutes of hell when Sacramento poured in 36 points in the third quarter.

“We relaxed,” Nikola Jokic said of the momentum-shifting third.

Like last season, Jokic did most of the heavy lifting and could have used a little more help. It’s honestly a bit stunning that Denver lost with him playing as well as he did. Jokic only needed 28 minutes to notch his first triple-double of the season and was both a technician and bully in the post. Sacramento had zero answers for him. Jokic finished with 29 points, 15 rebounds and 14 assists in 42 minutes and fouled out Richaun Holmes and Marvin Bagley, Sacramento’s starting and backup centers, on back-to-back possessions in the fourth.

Like last season, the Nuggets’ bench underperformed. Michael Malone tried both a small ball second unit with guards Monte Morris, Facu Campazzo and PJ Dozier alongside Will Barton and Isaiah Hartenstein in the first half. Denver also attempted to mix and match its starters and bench at times. Neither choice led to much sustained success.

Like last season, Jamal Murray turned in an inconsistent regular season performance, finishing with only nine points on 1-9 shooting and one assist to two turnovers. He did go a perfect 7-7 from the foul line, but it was far from the opening night statement Murray hoped to make following his breakout playoff run.

“We obviously need Jamal to play at a higher level,” Malone said. “And I’m sure he will next game.’

And that’s the thing. It’s just one loss. The Nuggets shouldn’t overreact to it. They won’t. This regular season will be a wild one full of unplanned twists and turns. But what we know about the Nuggets, and in particular this group, is that the pieces fit. Jokic looked like an MVP candidate. Murray will likely erase Wednesday’s dud with an inspiring scoring performance in due time.

Michael Porter Jr. struggled in the first half with foul trouble and committed some of the same defensive miscues that plagued him during his rookie season. But he bounced back strong. Porter can score, we know that. He finished with 24 points on an efficient 9-15 shooting in only 30 minutes.

Although Malone curiously categorized his performance as only “alright,” Porter was almost Denver’s hero Wednesday. He stuck his arm out for a clutch deflection and steal late in the fourth quarter and had three blocks, one of which looked at the time like it could have been a game-saving rejection on Corey Joseph’s corner three with the Nuggets trailing late in overtime.

Another subplot to Denver’s opener: Porter got the start at small forward over Will Barton, who stated affirmatively late Wednesday night that he’s “locked in” to coming off the bench and isn’t concerned about whether or not he’s in the starting lineup. Right before tip-off, Barton offered Porter a few choice words of encouragement, telling the 22-year-old to simply be himself.

“He’s going to be a star,” Barton said of Porter.

That’s another win that Denver can take from Wednesday’s loss. For the most part, Barton looked strong, chipping in 16 rebounds and four assists. Porter grew more and more comfortable as the game wore on and pulled his weight from beyond the arc by attempting seven triples. The Nuggets were adamant throughout the preseason that they’d shoot more threes this season but only attempted 29 against the Kings. That’s more in line with the average number of threes Denver shot per game last year (31) than what the Nuggets just averaged per game in the preseason (38).

The Nuggets are a much better team than the one that walked onto the floor to an empty Ball Arena Wednesday. I was lucky enough to be there live, and let me just say that watching two NBA teams play in a cavernous arena may never seem normal. The fake crowd noise that’s piped in most noticeably during free-throws is odd. The eardrum-rattling music played during the flow of the game that made the media table I was sitting at vibrate will take some getting used to.

As long as everything goes according to plan and Denver becomes the team it thinks it will be, the Nuggets should be able to look back on this forgettable regular season loss one day many months from now when they’re firmly in the playoffs and simply shrug their shoulders. Shrug at the number of questionable foul calls they were whistled for. Shrug at how they were out-rebounded and outplayed by a projected lottery team.

Shrug at the unlucky bounces that went Sacramento’s way, including the most important bounce of the night. On a frantic last possession that began with the score tied at 122 with under three seconds remaining in overtime, Barton somehow blocked Harrison Barnes’ dunk into the rim only for the ball to careen perfectly off the iron and wind up in Buddy Hield’s hands for the game-winning put-back.

The Nuggets will be better. Much better.

“We dropped the ball tonight,” Barton said. “We know that.”