The Nuggets have hit a slump lately and one big reason has been their pick and roll defense.
The Denver Nuggets have fallen out of the top eight of the Western Conference and one big cause has been their pick and roll defense. As a matter of fact, they have became the worst pick and roll defensive squad in the entire league.
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Teams have take notice of this and are taking advantage of this aspect within the past couple of weeks. The Los Angeles Clippers were able to make great use of the double high pick and roll in the last match up where Denver blew a 17 point lead.
The Denver Nuggets are an improved defensive unit this year, but this one facet has become their achilles heel this year. They have the capability to be a decent pick and roll defending team, but their discipline and execution has been extremely lacking in these situations. They switch when they shouldn’t against teams they should fight through the screens with and the fight through screens on teams they should switch on when there is a pick and roll situation.
However, there is still hope for this young Nuggets squad. The return of Paul Millsap will hopefully force them to start paying more attention to pick and roll and pick and pop situations. It is one of the oldest plays in basketball, yet so effective. This is why it is so timeless. However, there are ways to protect the basket against the pick and roll.
A lot of this comes from reading the scouting report and knowing your opponent. Make sure to switch against certain teams, but also make sure to hedge the screen against other teams.
Next: Nuggets vs. Clippers: Grades
Denver needs to correct this problem and they need to do it very soon if they want to make the playoffs.