NBA: Northwest Division Power Rankings: New Face On Top?
By Blake Holmes
4. Denver Nuggets.
Again, I really considered putting them at the last spot in the power rankings for this week. This past week has been anything but easy and successful for the Nuggets, as they lost every game. I could have put either team in the last spot and been fine with it, but I’m going to go with my gut on this list.
There is one word that can explain most of Denver’s main struggles, and that word is turnovers. When the Nuggets are playing like they are capable of, they can compete with anybody in the NBA. A team cannot do this when they average the most turnovers in the league. Not only does that give the ball back to the other team, but any kind of momentum that the team held before it is lost.
As I said before, the Nuggets look like a great team when they play smart and to their potential. Emmanuel Mudiay has shown some flashes of a good point guard so far, while Jamal Murray has struggled to find his shot so far. A player that has truly impressed me in the little amount of minutes that he has played is another rookie, Malik Beasley. For example, the Nuggets got blown out by the Golden State Warriors earlier this week, and Beasley came in during the second half. For a stretch of possessions, he had ten of their twelve points. He’s got a smooth jumper, and he is very athletic too.
The thing that the Nuggets are going to have to work on is playing a full game. Their turnovers need to decrease as well, as they lose momentum with every one of them. Their upcoming schedule includes games against the Phoenix Suns, Toronto Raptors, and Utah Jazz.