The Denver Nuggets have many things they can learn from game 1 from the NBA finals.
Unlike the Denver Nuggets’ fans expected, the Toronto Raptors won game one against the Golden State Warriors in a dominant fashion.
Toronto’s Game 1 performance can provide many lessons for the Nuggets as they seek to improve and beat the Dubs in the future.
However, despite the narrative around the Warriors, the 73-win Warriors team did not exert dominance in the playoffs before Kevin Durant arrived. In 2016, it took them seven games to close out the Oklahoma City Thunder, and they lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the finals.
In the two seasons that the Warriors were in title contention without KD, they were 31-14 in the playoffs. In the NBA finals when playing against the Cavaliers with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love in the lineup, they were 4-3. Also, against teams with at least 55 regular season wins, the Dubs are 19-12.
Without KD, the Warriors have never won a series against any playoff team that has won at least 57 regular season games.
The Warriors never exerted dominance in the playoffs before KD arrived. They struggled to win titles and in the playoffs before getting Kevin Durant on their roster.
If KD leaves the Warriors, they are beatable. Moreover, the Nuggets have a shot next season of beating the Warriors without KD in the playoffs.
Game 1 highlighted the importance of defense in winning in the NBA finals. The Raptors have six players that have been on All-Defensive teams in the past and two former defensive players of the years. In game 1, the Warriors were held to 21 points in the first quarter. Moreover, Draymond Green was also held to only 10 points in game one. Aside from Draymond, Klay Thompson, and Stephen Curry no other Warrior scored over 10 points in the game. This was most due to the Warrior’s defense.
The Raptors held the Warriors to 43 percent shooting from the field and 39 percent from the 3-point line. The Warriors also shot 23% from the field for contested shots. This helped the Raptors control the pace of the game.The veteran presence of Danny Green and Marc Gasol also made all the difference for the Raptors in game 1. The Raptors made it extremely difficult for Stephen Curry to score.
Toronto was able to play remarkable defense because of the depth on their roster. It allowed them to perform the necessary adjustments to the different lineups the Warriors played.
On the other hand, the Warriors had horrible transition defense and allowed the Raptors to have a franchise playoff high in transition points.
The Raptor’s bench also scored 25 points in game 1, and Fred VanVleet played 33 minutes for the Raptors. The Nuggets need a sixth-man like Fred VanVleet. The Nuggets need production from their bench if they are going to win in the playoffs.
Going into the playoffs next year, the Nuggets need to improve defensively and improve the depth of their bench.
A number of players for the Raptors are also available this offseason. Danny Green, Patrick McCaw, and Jeremy Lin will be unrestricted free agents this summer. Kawhi Leonard and Marc Gasol also have a player option this summer.
This is something for the Nuggets to consider as they move into next season.