Cavs at Nuggets: Three Things to Watch For
Dec 4, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Tristan Thompson (13) watches as point guard Kyrie Irving (2) drives against Denver Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson (3) in the third quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
The Cleveland Cavaliers and the NBA’s latest version of The Big Circus…I mean The Big Three…rolls into Denver tonight for a nationally televised contest with the Nuggets. Both teams enter the game with surprising and somewhat disappointing 1-3 records, giving both fan bases cause for concern if not outright panic. Here are three things to watch for in tonight’s Cavs at Nuggets match-up:
1. Can the Nuggets get off to a decent start?
In each of their three loses this season, the Nuggets have come out and shot poorly during the opening minutes, giving their opponents the opportunity to run up a big lead (as we saw with the Kings 40-19 domination of the first quarter on Wednesday) or avoid paying any sort of penalty for poor shooting of their own. It’s obviously still early in the 2014-15 season and guys like Danilo Gallinari can still use that as an excuse for shaking off the rust of a long offseason. But that’s going to get tired really quick. If the Nuggets post another horrendous shooting performance — be it early or for the entire game — the players are going to hear it from fans and head coach Brian Shaw and his staff will need to start looking at ways to either adjust the offense to limit outside shots or tweak the line-up to get guys who are splashing jumpers on the court for more minutes.
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2. Will this be the night Denver decides to open up and run?
The Nuggets ran more in their game against Sacramento in Denver on Monday than they had all season, and although they still couldn’t steal a win, it reminded fans that this team can do some pretty entertaining and effective things when they look to push the pace. While Cleveland isn’t a wide-open running squad, they are built to get out and move. In addition to being one of the best rebounders in the game, Kevin Love is probably the best in the league at starting breaks with long outlet passes. His pinpoint accuracy on passes from underneath the basket to streaking teammates running past half court makes Cleveland dangerous in the transition game. Not to mention the fact that LeBron James is one of the best finishers in the league and Kyrie Irving‘s speed rivals any point guard in the league, including that of our very own Ty Lawson. This game should present some opportunities for the Nuggets to run, and I for one hope they capitalize on those opportunities.
3. How will Brian Shaw use his bench?
Following Wednesday’s blowout loss to the Kings, Shaw was vocal in accepting blame for not using his bench enough, both in terms of stopping big runs and yanking starters off the court who weren’t showing a fire in their bellies or a willingness to compete. He’s on record both before the season and again this week saying it doesn’t matter who the player is or how much he makes, if he isn’t showing “professional pride” on the court, Shaw will sit him in favor of a backup who is ready to work. If the Nuggets get off to a slow start or one of the starters isn’t producing, it will be interesting to see if Shaw makes good on his threat to make one of the team’s big-salaried “stars” ride the pine in favor of a baller willing to do everything it takes to work towards a win.
If nothing else, it should be an exciting game, Nuggets fans. Let’s hope Denver can right this ship and come away with a big victory against a glamor opponent on the national stage.