The Denver Nuggets are off to a disappointing 3-5 start to the season, with all three of their wins coming from teams below .500. This is surprising, as many people predicted the Nuggets to be a top team in the West. In order to get back on the winning path, these are three key adjustments that Denver needs to make.
Chemistry
Welcoming several new players to the Nuggets rotation has caused the team chemistry to be a little shaken up. With new additions such as Facundo Campazzo, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Jamychal Green, the team is still struggling to figure things out. Not to mention, players that have developed a bigger role in the rotation like PJ Dozier and Michael Porter Jr.
Let’s address the chemistry on offense. A key part of good offensive chemistry is passing. It’s no secret that Nikola Jokić is the best passer on the team. Even though Jokić has no problem being generous with the ball, sometimes he can be a little too generous. He has a tendency to pass the ball to another player when he could’ve easily posted-up his much shorter defender.
Some of these new additions to the team are still trying to adjust to the Nuggets playing style. It’s not easy immediately playing with your center running the ball on half of the possessions.
There are a lot more problems with the chemistry, but these seem to be some of the major problems that are pulling the Nuggets down.
Free Throw Shooting
Denver’s free throw shooting this season has been horrific. They sit at 25th in the league shooting just 73.3% from the line.
Free throws are a vital part of winning, and missing too many can result in a tough loss. Let’s take Thursday’s game against the Mavericks for example. Coming down to the final seconds of the game, Nikola Jokić was fouled and he ended up missing one of his two free throws. Eventually, the game went to overtime and the Nuggets lost. Had he made both of his free throws, overtime would not have been necessary.
In last season’s playoffs, Denver shot an outstanding 81.6% from the line. This proved to be helpful as the Nuggets made the Western Conference Finals. Compare that percentage to this season, and you get over an 8 percent decrease.
Defense
The defense has been quite the issue for Denver this season. They sit 23rd in the league in opponent’s points per game, allowing 117 PPG. Last season they were ranked 11th with an average of 109.3.
So why such a big drop from last year? The answer to this is simple. The losses of two of their biggest defensive weapons: Jerami Grant and Torrey Craig.
Losing these two players has meant fewer stops on the defensive end for Denver. But that’s not the only reason their defense has been the way it is. Most of the Nuggets players are just not defensive threats at all against top-tier players. Guys like Will Barton, Facundo Campazzo, and even All-Star Nikola Jokić are just a few.
Something the Nuggets really have also had trouble with is perimeter defense. Denver has allowed opponents to shoot 39.5% from behind the arc. Even something as simple as getting a hand up could really be vital in lowering that percentage.
While there are many things Denver has succeeded at thus far, there are also many adjustments that need to be made. I’m not saying the Nuggets won’t live up to this season’s expectations, but in order to do so, they need to wake up.
