Denver Nuggets Power Rankings: Week 12
By Jack Malloy
Three game weeks really seem to fit the Denver Nuggets well. If you remember, they played the exact same Wednesday, Friday, Sunday schedule in Week 12 as the prior week, and what do you know, we ended up with the exact same result.
The Nuggets went 2-1, but had themselves quite the impressive sequence. Just like the prior week, they sandwiched their loss in between the two great wins.
Starting off the week against a Warriors team with only two losses on the entire season seemed like a sure loss. Instead, the Nuggets came out and continuously made all the plays they needed to in order to get the 112-110 win over the defending champs. It was one of the biggest wins for this team over the last few seasons!
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Draymond Green missing the game for rest really cost the Warriors, but they came up against a Denver squad that was hungry for the win. This game felt like a very unique turning point in the season to continue the growth of this young team.
Friday brought a loss to the Miami Heat that was tough to swallow. The Nuggets led by 18 at one point in the first half while shooting 67 percent from the field halfway through the second quarter. By early in the fourth quarter, they had blown the lead and ended up shooting just 41 percent from the field on the night. Still, they gave themselves a chance to win, narrowly missing 98-95.
Sunday night turned into a shootout at the Pepsi Center as the Nuggets outlasted the Indiana Pacers 129-126. The Nuggets scored 75 points in the second half including a massive 45 points in the fourth quarter.
Putting aside the terrible defense, the resiliency to come back from down 12 at half-time and finish the game like they did was awesome to see out of this team and a great way to end the week. It was a different team than we’d seen at any point this season, and a welcoming sight at that.
Taking down two playoff teams and nearly beating a third, made for a bright outlook with four more home games still to go before heading back out onto the road.
With two solid back-to-back weeks, let’s see where the Nuggets rank around the league in the latest version of the NBA power rankings:
The experts are completely unanimous this week in where the Nuggets lie. At 23rd overall and 11th in the west, they seem to be sitting in a conservative position.
The still sit behind the Bucks and Kings who they already had surpassed previously in the season. They also stand close to the Trail Blazers, Magic, Jazz, and Knicks, so there is a chance they haven’t hit their ceiling just yet.
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All the experts noted Danilo Gallinari’s incredible play over the last couple of weeks and how he’s helped the Nuggets. Even though there has been some talk of his trade possibilities, he is playing all out on the offensive end.
Health has obviously been a huge factor contributing to their recent success as they hope to keep bodies fresh to finish out the home stand.
This week offers another three game schedule set for Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, all at home.
Tuesday brings the Oklahoma City Thunder into town. Last time they played, the Thunder dropped 122 points on the Nuggets including 30 from Russell Westbrook. If the Nuggets want to keep their winning ways up, they will need to find a way to slow down both Westbrook and Durant.
Then, the Memphis Grizzlies head to the Mile High city. Just over a week ago, the Nuggets lost a tight one to the Grizz on the road. While they held Memphis to just 91 points, their offense went stale. Will Barton and Danilo Gallinari need to continue their offensive attack if they want to get the win.
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Wrapping up the week, they’ll take on the Pistons in the third game of four on the road for Detroit. The Pistons are a bit of a wild card where you don’t know what team you’ll get on any given night. Both team’s defenses are struggling though so there is a good chance that the biggest offense on that night pulls it off.
The Nuggets do seem to have settled into a team with a little more consistency than we’ve seen through the first half of the year. Being ranked 23rd overall seems very fair, but I’d love to see them reach a few spots higher for maximum potential. Taking advantage of the home floor and rest this week could see them bump up pretty close to that.