The Denver Nuggets will have to be ready in all facets against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Denver Nuggets may be coming off a key win over the Washington Wizards, but they will still be in for a fight against the young Philadelphia 76ers.
If there is any team in the league who has a young core with more upside than Denver’s, it is Philadelphia’s.
The Nuggets may be on a two game win streak, but they have a habit of getting too comfortable. Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid are the two best players on this 76ers squad and both can control the glass. As a result, they are one of the better rebounding teams in the entire NBA. Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Paul Millsap and Wilson Chandler will have to make a more concerted effort on the boards in order to give Denver second chance opportunities and to take away possessions from the fast paced 76ers.
Denver will also have to tighten up the defense as well. This is a statement which is starting to sound like a broken record for this squad year in and year out, but there is a reason for it. The phrase, “defense wins championships,” doesn’t exist for nothing. The Nuggets got a bit lucky against the Wizards, but against the 76ers, they have to shore up the defense a bit.
If the Nuggets can at least contain one of the two stars of the 76ers, they will be in good shape. Easier said than done when talking about Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons though. The most likely candidate to be contained would probably be Simmons as Wilson Chandler will be matched up with him. Nikola Jokic is great, but defensively, Embiid has to be licking his chops in the post.
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Let’s hope the Nuggets can pull off another upset win on the road.