Denver Nuggets vs. Memphis Grizzlies: What we learned
By Peter Hooper
The Denver Nuggets show growth and get revenge.
How about those Denver Nuggets!!! The Denver Nuggets managed to do two really important things last night.
One, they ended their two game skid with a clutch victory over one of the best teams in the NBA known for their grit and grind type of basketball. Memphis tends to earn their wins with their defense.
With Fox Sports and ESPN’s defensive stats putting Memphis as 3rd best in the NBA. Whilst teamrankings.com has the Grizzlies as 6th best defense in the NBA.
Last night the Denver Nuggets got the same treatment from Memphis as the Grizzlies managed 18 points from the turnovers they forced compared to just 9 for the Nuggets (even though both teams had 14 turnovers).
Denver Nuggets Experience And Own Grit Shone Through
Literally on one of the opening plays of the game, the Nuggets showed that they are learning and building on the experiences gained from every game.
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If you read our last article, you’ll remember that we pointed out the importance of Denver communicating (particularly on defense) to ensure they continued to play at a high level despite apparent fatigue.
After Jaren Jackson receives a pass from under the basket, you hear Plumlee cry for help as Jackson throws down a Tomahawk dunk.
To be fair, communication by no means a team is bound to get a favorable outcome all the time. It does however mean that a team gives its best effort all the time which is absolutely key to a team playing at an elite level.
By comparison, during Denver’s last game against the Atlanta Hawks, the Nuggets had the NBA’s worst 3 point shooting team shoot above their average.
Last night, the Nuggets forced NBA’s 10th best 3 point shooting team to shoot below their average of 35.7 and instead shoot 33.3%.
The Denver Nuggets Talked Together And Played As One
A key play signifying the difference in Denver’s defense happened in the 2nd quarter at about the 4:45 mark. Shelvin Mack hits a three, but again the journey as opposed to the result or destination is the key.
At first you have a pass from the top of the 3 to Marc Gasol down low. Jamal Murray does an amazing job of help defense and succeeds in forcing Gasol to pass back out to Shelvin Mack.
Admittedly he makes the 3, but what is very encouraging for Denver Nuggets fans is he had two Denver Nuggets attempting to run him off of the 3 point line.
A far cry from the last game, where you could see one Nugget undermanned and trying to guard two Hawks on the perimeter simultaneously.
Last night, the Nuggets defended well as a team and they certainly ran their offense as a team too.
Next. Top 10 Denver Nuggets of all time. dark
With the Nuggets playing this way, there is absolutely nothing that is impossible for them to do.