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Denver Nuggets: 3 ideal opponents for the playoffs

By Grayson Moore

DENVER, CO - FEBRUARY 26: Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets reacts to a play during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 26, 2019 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 2019 NBAE (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - FEBRUARY 26: Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets reacts to a play during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 26, 2019 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 2019 NBAE (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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SAN ANTONIO, TX – DECEMBER 26: Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets passes the ball against the San Antonio Spurs on December 26, 2018, at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Mark Sobhani/NBAE via Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO, TX – DECEMBER 26: Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets passes the ball against the San Antonio Spurs on December 26, 2018, at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Mark Sobhani/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Ideal Opponent #2: San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs have managed to clinch a playoff seed this season mainly thanks to the genius of Gregg Popovich and the stellar play of DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge. However, this is a team that is stuck in the past.

71.5% of their shots are 2-pointers, the highest percentage in the league, and they also take the most shots from 16 feet to the 3-point line, a big no-no in the 3-point heavy schemes of today’s NBA. On that subject, the Spurs also take the fewest 3-pointers in the NBA.

Denver’s opponents shoot the 2nd lowest FG% in the league on shots from 16 feet to the 3-point line, and they also have the 2nd lowest 3-point percentage in the league. The Spurs will have difficulty scoring from mid-range and 3-point range against the Nuggets, which should make it easy for the Nuggets to park Plumlee, Millsap, and Jokic around the rim to contest the inevitable shots around the rim.

While that strategy has not paid off too well against the Spurs in the regular season(Nuggets are 1-2 against the Spurs this season), it should work a little better in the playoffs, where Denver’s offense and defense will be firing on all cylinders for all 48 minutes. The main problem the Nuggets had against the Spurs was the ineffectiveness of their offense inside the 3-point line.

The Nuggets shot an impressive 41.3% from 3-point range against the Spurs, but they converted just 42.6% of their field goals.

As long as the Nuggets can knock down their 2-pointers against the Spurs in a potential playoff matchup, they should be able to progress past the first round.

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