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Denver Nuggets: 2 matchups to watch against Clippers

By Grayson Moore

DENVER, CO - FEBRUARY 27: Mason Plumlee #24 of the Denver Nuggets and Boban Marjanovic #51 of the LA Clippers box out during the game between the two teams on February 27, 2018 at the Pepsi Center 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - FEBRUARY 27: Mason Plumlee #24 of the Denver Nuggets and Boban Marjanovic #51 of the LA Clippers box out during the game between the two teams on February 27, 2018 at the Pepsi Center 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Denver Nuggets are one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now, and they are hoping to continue their current 4 game win streak on Saturday night against the LA Clippers.

These two teams have already faced off twice this season, once in the preseason, and the first game of the regular season.

After the Clippers handed the Nuggets the first and only loss of their pre-season campaign, Denver bounced back during their first game of the regular season to kick off their joint best start to a regular season campaign in the team’s history.

The preseason matchup shouldn’t be examined too thoroughly; Denver’s starters all played just 12 minutes, and most Clippers starters nearly doubled that total. The regular season matchup can tell us a little bit more about what to expect, but not much.

Will Barton, Gary Harris, and Paul Millsap all played that match, and they were collectively able to stifle the offensive capabilities of Tobias Harris and Lou Williams.

The pair is averaging a combined 38.5 points per game this season, but in the Nuggets game, they combined for just 33 points and a combined BPM of -9. However, without the defensive duo of Millsap and Harris, the Nuggets could find it harder to contain those two.

Hope is not lost, however. The Clippers nor Williams and Harris have been very good recently after their hot start. They are just 3-7 in their last 10 games, and they have fallen to 6th in the Western Conference.

The Nuggets, meanwhile, top the West and have beaten 4 teams with winning records in a row despite key players being injured.

Here are the matchups the Nuggets should be watching to win their 5th successive game against a team with a winning record.

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

Matchup #1: Mason Plumlee vs. Boban Marjanovic

In the first game of the season, this was one of the most exciting matchups of the game.

Marjanovic was one of the Clippers’ best players on the night, putting up 18 points and 8 rebounds on 75% shooting in just 18 minutes. Plumlee was the only one who seemed to be capable of guarding him.

In 19 possessions matching up against Plumlee, Boban shot 50% and registered his only 2 misses against the Nuggets’ big man. Unfortunately for the Nuggets, Plumlee only played 14 minutes, meaning his defensive efforts against the Serb had to be cut short. That shouldn’t be a problem Saturday afternoon.

Plumlee should be a starter as he has been the past few games since Paul Millsap went down with a broken toe, and he should be able to guard Boban for most of the game. Against most teams, Marjanovic has been a non-factor, averaging 7.6 points and 4.5 rebounds in 10.9 minutes per game this season, but tall, athletic big men seem to always do pretty well against the Nuggets(see: JaVale McGee, Marjanovic, Clint Capela, Jaren Jackson Jr., etc.). However, if Plumlee is on the court against him, his offensive impact should be neutralized.

Matchup #2: Danilo Gallinari vs. Juan Hernangomez

Not only is this matchup one to watch because of its intrigue on the offensive side, but it will be very interesting to see a matchup between a Nugget from the past and a Nugget for the future.

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Gallinari didn’t have an incredible game in his first outing against his former team, but it was pretty solid.

He had 16 points and 8 rebounds on 35.7% shooting from the field and 57.1% shooting from 3 across 34 minutes of action.

He has improved significantly since then, helping to lead the Clippers to a playoff position in the West while averaging 19.5 points and 6 rebounds per game on 45% shooting from the field and 45.3% shooting from beyond the arc.

He is posting career highs in WS/48, OBPM, BPM, and TRB%. If Denver doesn’t guard him properly, they could be in for a long night.

Luckily for them, Juancho is having a career season on both sides of the ball. He is posting career highs in DRtg and DBPM and is allowing his opponents to shoot just 30.8% from beyond the arc and 42.5% overall.

And even if he can’t stop Gallo on the offensive side of the ball, he can help neutralize his impact by putting up a lot of points. Juancho himself is drilling nearly 42% of his 3-pointers and is a reliable offensive weapon for the Nuggets to fall back on.

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If he can take advantage of Gallinari’s questionable defense, the team will have a better chance of winning the game.

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