Denver Nuggets: Offensive Dark-Horses

Feb 13, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic (15) during the second half against the Golden State Warriors at Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 132-110. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 13, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic (15) during the second half against the Golden State Warriors at Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 132-110. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 13, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic (15) during the second half against the Golden State Warriors at Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 132-110. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 13, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic (15) during the second half against the Golden State Warriors at Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 132-110. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

The Nuggets happen to be in the elite company when it comes to offense.

The Nuggets have been a scoring machine as of late, and have been playing good basketball under the radar.

This streak of great offense included a game in Madison Square Garden where Nikola Jokic dropped 40 on the Knicks (Denver had 131 total).

There was another game against the Golden State Warriors where they dominated the game, making 24 threes and scoring 132 in a blowout.

It’s worth asking, “Are the Nuggets truly sneaking up on anybody?” They beat up on a struggling Knicks team in the Garden, and caught Golden State at the perfect time, with them coming off of a win at Oklahoma City. Could it be just a coincidence that they are playing good offense right now?

The answer to that, based on earlier season experiences, is no. This is a Nuggets team who has dropped 140 points in a game this season, against the Indiana Pacers in London.

Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets

Denver Nuggets

After watching Denver play this season, it’s obvious that they aren’t going to beat anybody in a defensive battle.

They’re going to try to win a shootout, as they are currently the 28th ranked team in points allowed (per ESPN).

This is a different mind-set from last year’s team, and so far, the Nuggets have shown their offense can compete with anybody when it’s on.

Shockingly enough, this recent stretch of great play has Denver currently as the 4th ranked offense in the NBA.

This is insane, as the only teams that are better are Golden State, Cleveland, and Houston. The Nuggets are averaging almost 111 points per game, and they are also 6th in three-point percentage.

Every basketball fan knows the old saying, “Live by the three, die by the three.” While the Nuggets have found other ways to win games this season, some games have depended solely on the deep ball.

A good example is the blowout win against the Warriors. If a team makes 24 threes in a game, especially only on 40 attempts, that team will probably win. It doesn’t matter who the other team is, that is 72 points off of three-pointers.

When the threes are dropping, it can be great, but the Nuggets need to be more consistent with shots other than a three.

I love seeing their recent success, as they make a push for the eighth seed in the Western Conference. In fact, the seventh seed is not completely out of reach, as Denver is only 5.5 games back from the Oklahoma City Thunder.

If they make any moves, however, it depends on the intensity of their offense.

We’ve seen it play at its best, but only one question remains, can they play at its best when it matters the most?

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That will be decided, and necessary if the Nuggets want to do anything this postseason.