The Denver Nuggets bounce back from a bad loss to beat a legitimate contender in the L.A. Clippers. They took control by halftime and kept it the rest of the game.
Tonight was an excellent victory over a deep and well performing Clippers team. Losing to the Cavs, but winning the next night against a better team is a thrilling display of resilience.
Playing a team like the Clippers served as a measuring stick looking ahead to the playoffs. Some strategies used tonight could certainly have implications taking a peek that far down the road certainly.
Observations:
1: Jerami Grant will make a playoff impact for the Denver Nuggets
Jerami Grant is a player who struggles as a help defender, but as a one on one defender, he has bothersome length that affected Kawhi Leonard heavily. Jerami has some deficiencies rebounding and is a streaky shooter, but if he can keep defending like he did in this game, he will be valuable in a wing-heavy Western Conference. In Millsap’s absence, the defense has slipped certainly, but Coach Malone has admitted that he hasn’t deployed him properly. Tonight, even with his offensive struggling (2-6 from the field, 7-12 from the line), Grant impacted the game heavily with his defense on Kawhi.
Nuggets began the second half with Jerami Grant on Kawhi and not Will Barton III.
— T.J. McBride (@TJMcBrideNBA) January 13, 2020
Kawhi tried to yam it on Grant, but got blocked instead.
Yeah, Grant is an important weapon on defense for the Nuggets when looking at playoff matchups.
2: Michael Porter Jr is efficient
This is an incredibly obvious observation, but one that will hold implications in April/May. Michael Porter Jr. started off the game slowly, but he picked it up in the second quarter, flaunting his excellent shooting touch. His 60.5% True Shooting percentage this season is an elite mark. His nose for rebounding is a valuable skill set, especially on the offensive glass. His 13 points on 8 shots in 19 minutes were valuable. He had an excellent steal which turned into a transition bucket.
Michael Porter Jr has received an inconsistent amount of minutes, but usually the games in which he is more heavily featured in, he finds a rhythm and is a high level scorer. Moving forward, the Nuggets need a shot creating wing and MPJ has the capability to play that role.
3: Gary Harris still has the ability to be impactful
Gary Harris has struggled heavily for the Nuggets in recent games especially, but all season as well. Tonight, he flashed a bit of vintage Gary, hitting two of his five threes, and going five of nine from the field. He racked up three steals as well, continuing his ‘First Team’ campaign.
He didn’t close tonight, as he’s dealing with a sore groin. Gary might be a candidate that the Nuggets rest and play sparingly as the Nuggets approach the playoffs. His ability to lockdown opposing guards has been important so far this season and will be crucial in the playoffs.
Overall:
A measuring stick game like this one was encouraging. It was no doubt a learning experience as the Nuggets move deeper into the season. Games against teams like the Clippers and Mavericks will be important down the stretch with a tight group of playoff contenders in the West.