Denver Nuggets vs. OKC: Main takeaways
By Peter Hooper
Denver Nuggets persistence pays off.
The Denver Nuggets are atop the Western Conference in the NBA. Home to the best basketball on earth. It is always competitive, but especially so when you’re going up against a team that want the same thing you want.
To play the game on both ends – like you do. Last night, the Denver Nuggets were facing just such a team in the OKC Thunder. According to teamrankings.com, OKC has the NBA’s best defense.
However, as has recently been noted, the NBA’s standings at this point of the NBA season, can be misleading.
In other words, Oklahoma were about to really get tested by the Denver Nuggets. Whereas the Nuggets, to their credit, have beaten virtually every NBA team that is a championship contender.
Nevertheless, in fairness to OKC, they surely tested the Denver Nuggets last night too.
The good news for Denver Nuggets fans is, the Nuggets passed their OKC test last night with flying colors. As always, below we feature what stood out about last night’s game below.
Denver Nuggets: Winning The Right Way
As mentioned last article, playing fundamental basketball is no guarantee of a 100% success rate. However, what is guaranteed is the fact that over time, playing fundamentally sound basketball, offers the best probability of success.
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Whilst playing basketball at an elite level on both sides of the ball is undoubtedly a clear sign of championship potential, the defensive end of the basketball is traditionally looked at as the most important half of the game because once defensive skills are mastered they are more reliable than mastered offensive skills.
The Denver Nuggets are a perfect example of why defense should be prioritized over offense. As despite the Denver Nuggets having some shooting problems. Whilst the Denver Nuggets have dropped from the NBA’s 5th ranked offense last year, to the NBA’s 8th this year.
The Denver Nuggets are ranked the number one team in the West largely because according to teamrankings.com they have jumped from being the NBA’s 25th best defense last year, to the NBA’s 4th.
That fact, coupled with an equal opportunity offense, bolstered by Jokic and company’s passing ability which has Denver 3rd in the NBA in assists per game (with 26.9).
Goes a long way to explaining why the Nuggets are having so much success. The reason for this is, if you can stop opposing teams most of the time and move the ball to get good shots on the other end.
It results in the two-way play alluded to above.
Factor in the experience gained after playing that brand of basketball for 82 games and you have a team where the sky is the limit.
Interestingly, whilst OKC shot a higher percentage from 3 than Denver (36.8% compared to 32.4%) OKC got less 3 point shots (19 compared to Denver’s 34) and also made less 3’s (7 compared to 11 for Denver).
Moreover, OKC also had a lot less assists than Denver (14 compared to 29). Whilst the Denver Nuggets also shot better from the field (50.6% compared to 41.1%).
In short what we have here is one team that is still figuring things out and another team that is already playing winning basketball.
Whether it’s a Torrey Craig block that ends up in a Jamal Murray lay up, or a Mason Plumlee block or offensive rebound that ends up in a 3 for Swaggy P (also known as the ‘Swaggy Champ’), the Nuggets defense, is feeding its elusive, pass-happy offense.
Forget coming, the Nuggets have arrived.
All the Denver Nuggets have to do is keep doing what they have been doing. Integrate their new pieces into what they are already doing and lastly improve things like the amount of turnovers and free throws given away.
That is a big part of the purpose of what of the remaining games in this NBA season is for.
If the Denver Nuggets play their cards (or more appropriately, games right).
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