The Denver Nuggets let a mediocre team in the Cleveland Cavaliers beat them like a drum on both ends of the floor on Monday night. They were never able to get in a groove and lost their first game of the young season.
Denver’s largest lead was just one point compared to the Cavaliers’ 17-point advantage. An embarrassing night was highlighted by an all-around sloppy effort; the offense continued to struggle with shooting the ball (23.7 percent from beyond the arc), losing the battle on the glass, and in the paint (outscored 56-46).
The most glaring stat was the fact that the team was equal with the same number of assists as turnovers at 21. In the post-game press conference, head coach Michael Malone called the team “soft” and said they were “too hesitant and scared to attack” (on the offensive side of the floor).
While the Cavaliers are improved with standout first-round draft picks Isaac Okoro and Evan Mobley, the Denver Nuggets made them look like they would contend for a playoff spot this season.
Okoro was able to make life hell for all the undersized guards the Nuggets threw on the wings. As a team, the Nuggets seemed to be startled by the length Cleveland had in the paint and the plethora of big men they threw at Nikola Jokic.
The Nuggets started the fourth quarter only down by five, but the bench lineup Malone threw out quickly allowed an 8-0 run in the first three minutes. He has to figure out a more balanced lineup that allows for more offensive weapons. In the press conference, Malone also hinted at having a lineup that is more willing to run the floor and play fast.
The offense is single handily being carried by the wizardry of Nikola Jokic and Facundo Campazzo. While Jokic is up for the challenge most nights, tonight he endured three skilled big men in Jarrett Allen, Mobley, and Lauri Markkanen who seemed to wear on him down low.
The Nuggets were desperate for a second and third 20-point scorer but the entire offense struggled.
While this is only the first loss of the season it was not exactly a moral victory either. The Nuggets need to figure out these energy and sloppy offensive problems soon, with two games against formidable Western Conference teams coming up this week in the Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks.
The rest of this article features scouting reports on how each positional group fared in this matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Let’s kick it off with the guards, starting with debut rookie Bones Hyland.