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Denver Nuggets vs. Clippers: Matchup to watch for season opener

By Grayson Moore

DENVER, CO - FEBRUARY 27: Paul Millsap #4 of the Denver Nuggets is guarded by Tobias Harris #34 of the LA Clippers at Pepsi Center on February 27, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Tafoya/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - FEBRUARY 27: Paul Millsap #4 of the Denver Nuggets is guarded by Tobias Harris #34 of the LA Clippers at Pepsi Center on February 27, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Tafoya/Getty Images) /
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The Denver Nuggets will start the 2018-19 NBA season with a matchup against the LA Clippers in the Staples Center after a pretty successful preseason.

The Denver Nuggets went 4-1 in games against the Lakers(twice), Clippers, Bulls, and the Perth Wildcats, a club that competes in the highest level of Australian basketball.

They dismantled the best player in the NBA twice, clutched out a win against Perth, and handily beat the young, yet talented Bulls. Unfortunately, their only loss was against the team they are about to open the season against.

The Nuggets came into Staples Center on a 3 game win streak, but couldn’t get the job done against the Clippers. They ended up losing 109-103, although it is worthy to note that the Nuggets’ starters all only played 12 minutes in the contest. It was a very close game until the end, and it was a preseason game, so fans should not be discouraged for the first game of the season.

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Denver Nuggets

Ultimately, this game will be won or lost by the team as a collective, not from individual performances, as has been the case for most of the Nuggets’ preseason.

However, it is still important to look at the matchups between players on the night and what impact they will have on the game.

There will be several important matchups on Wednesday night, but one stands out above the rest.

(Note: All stats via Basketball-Reference, NBA.com, or ESPN unless otherwise noted.)

Match up to Watch: Paul Millsap vs. Tobias Harris

While some may be quick to jump to Gary Harris vs. Lou Williams as the main matchup of the night, I believe this matchup holds more potential to turn the game. Tobias Harris is one of the most talented and underrated scorers in the NBA, and when he gets on the scoreboard frequently, the Clippers often come out with a win.

In 32 games with the Clippers last season, Harris surpassed or equaled 15 points in 24 of those games. The Clippers were 14-10 in those games, which was a win/loss percentage of .583, noticeably better than their percentage for the entire season(.512).

However, in the 8 games that Harris scored less than 15 points, the Clippers were 3-5, a win/loss percentage of .333. As you can see, the game may very well depend on Millsap’s ability to guard Tobias Harris.

As Millsap likely won’t make many offensive contributions(as he won’t have to), his efforts on the defensive side will be the main way he’ll impact the game.

However, Millsap has shown that he can score when he needs to. He has scored 30+ points 19 times throughout his career, despite being used as a defensive specialist for the majority of his time in the NBA.

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If Millsap can take advantage of Harris’ fairly poor defense(108 career DRtg, -0.4 career DBPM, -1.02 DRPM last season) and shut him down on offense, the Nuggets will almost certainly be in for a good night.

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