The Denver Nuggets start a three-game Eastern Conference road trip with the Indiana Pacers first on the list. Nugg Loves briefly touches on the three matchups.
Following a loss to the banged-up Houston Rockets, the Denver Nuggets need a win to get back on track as an elite force in the Western Conference. This next road trip serves as a pallet cleanser and an opportunity to face some inferior teams.
The next three opponents own a combined 39-62 record with the Indiana Pacers as the lone playoff potential team of the trio. However, the previously mentioned record doesn’t guarantee a clean sweep.
All three teams have a wildcard player or two who possess exceptional qualities that provide a possible swing of misfortune for the Denver Nuggets. First on the list comes as the most dangerous team of the three, the Indiana Pacers.
Indiana Pacers
Tonight’s contest finds the Denver Nuggets pitted against an injury-riddled roster which so far, miraculously weathered a destructive storm which forecasted a lack of available core players. Boasting an offensive rating good enough for eighth in the league, the Pacers continue to defy logic.
The Denver Nuggets aren’t the only ones that feature a frontcourt player in its gameplan.
In an era where centers continue to fall into irrelevancy, the Pacers, once again, go against the grain. The two-headed monster at the center position causes havoc for rival teams. Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner provide polar-opposite approaches to the game, with Turner as the stretch-big and Sabonis as the force in the paint.
Expect Nikola Jokic to get his money’s worth guarding the two players.
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards might be the most perplexing team in the league. Despite owning a 10-23 record, the Eastern Conference franchise produces a surprising fifth-ranked offensive rating. Much like the Pacers, its roster has experienced significant injuries.
Aside from the Achilles injury to John Wall, Bradley Beal has also missed games due to injury. It’s 2019 lottery pick, Rui Hachimura is currently out due to a groin injury. On the bright side of the equation, former San Antonio Spur, Davis Bertans serves as a free agency revelation.
Atlanta Hawks
Finally, the road trip ends in the peachy city of Atlanta. The Atlanta Hawks might as well equate to a pencil-in win on the schedule. Not only do the Hawks sit at the bottom of the NBA, Trae Young, but its best player also doesn’t do anything positive on defense.
However, in the same breath, Young provides a shooting dynamic which forces your defense to tighten up around the perimeter. Also, the boisterous three-point shooter showcases flashy passes reminiscent of Steve Nash.
The Denver Nuggets’ backcourt defense must lock-in on the small, but not short on offensive weaponry, point guard.