Something Still Missing…
The Nuggets must take some time to review the films of these games collectively. The passing and movement was as good as Golden State and San Antonio.
But when the reserves go in, the change could lose Denver games if not addressed.
Coach Malone should be conscientious about when he subs, and who he subs. Perhaps he can stagger Mason Plumlee and Will Barton, leaving Nikola in for a couple of extra minutes to continue the flow.
Perhaps, leave Jameer in to keep things flowing. The Jokic/Plumlee combination isn’t working yet. But I’m confident it will in time.
Denver Broncos
Malone should talk with the team to let them know he may experiment a little to get consistency in the offense and defense continuum, so that they can prepare mentally on how to play with their teammates.
The 5 of Jokic, Chandler, Gallo, Nelson and Harris are our best defensive combination, to start and set the tone and when needed.
Perhaps letting Faried work with the second team will provide a needed spark. Otherwise, Chandler and Barton will try to carry the second team on their own with too many IS
Os. They should not do this, and must continue to pass, move, screen and cut.
Plumlee needs another month to mesh, but has a high basketball IQ and can screen and pass.
Against Milwaukee, since Murray started, Emmanuel Mudiay took over at backup point guard responsibilities. He didn’t play bad, but still had a negative rating.
On offense, he tends to wait until the defense gets set before passing the ball. He needs to engage his teammates earlier in the possession and let the others get more involved while he cuts and screens. He does not have to score to get a positive plus minus.
He was a little more aggressive with his shot and got some attention with his drives, a nice three, and some cross court passing. That is the Mudiay who draws attention. But, he still hasn’t figured his defensive requirements to stay on the court.
The coaches need to work with him in order for him to get time. He still is incredibly talented in many ways and it is up to the Nuggets system to draw that talent into an effective player.
I’m not sure we should lose him. Speaking of losing players, it is time to wish Jusuf Nurkic well.
“In his fifth game as a Trail Blazer and his first at the Moda Center, Nurkić finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and five steals, a stat line never put up in franchise history, in just under 38 minutes to help the Trail Blazers defeat the Thunder 114-109. Nurkić also added two steals to top off his Moda Center debut in front of a sellout crowd of 19,875.”
Good luck Nurk, we wish you well. We still have Jokic, however.