Top 5 Lessons Learned from 5-game Homestand

The Denver Nuggets ran out of gas Monday night on the road against the Mavs, but let’s pause a minute for a closer look at the top lessons learned from the five-game homestand sweep. The Nuggs stand at 9-5 with upcoming home games against the Philadelphia 76ers and Chicago Bulls. Hopefully, they can carry what they learned from the longer homestand into the short one later this week.

1. Nuggets Can Win Without Nikola Jokic

Of course, nobody wants them to win without Nikola Jokic. And, hopefully, they will never find themselves forced into this situation again due to a suspension or injury.

However, when presented with this challenge as Jokic served his one-game suspension, the Nuggets proved something vital to themselves. Winning handily against the Indiana Pacers was liberating.

Will Barton stepped up as the scoring leader and he and others combined to fill the distribution void. Last year, Jokic played every game of a shortened season. Yet with the schedule being 82 games again, the key is for him to be strong when matters most.

Seeing his team’s success without Jokic, head coach Mike Malone should recognize the potential luxury of carefully picking rest days for Jokic to make sure he’s healthy come playoff time.

2. Nuggets are Deep

Without Jokic against the Indiana Pacers, you might have expected the veteran Greens–Jeff and JaMychal–to take up all his minutes in the pivot.

Instead, Malone went with Zeke Nnaji, who had played 11 total minutes all season. Nnaji turned in 19 points and 5 rebounds in 20 minutes. That night was also the official beginning of the Bones Hyland arrival.

Early on this season, it seemed like the bench could be a weakness, but now it has flexed its strengths. The bench ended the homestand with 63 points (more than the starters) in the win over Portland. The Nuggets could have a regular rotation of at least 12 players (13 if Bol Bol keeps taking advantage of his minutes).

3. Nuggets Have Big Home-Court Advantage

It’s imperative for elite teams to exercise full leverage of the NBA’s decided home-court advantage (last season the Milwaukee Bucks were 10-1 at home in the playoffs). Going undefeated on the homestand shows how well the Nuggs feed off their energetic fans.

When Jokic said he needed to defend himself after the cheap shot Markieff Morris took on a transition foul, he sent a message that opponents shouldn’t come into Denver thinking they can push the Nuggs around.

4. Nuggets play D

A narrative once floated around about the Nuggets being soft. On the homestand, the Nuggets held every team they played under 100 points and now rank No. 1 in the NBA in fewest points allowed.

They have allowed less than 100 points in 10 of 14 games. Yes, scoring is down so far in the NBA, but it’s impossible to ignore the amplified D led by Aaron Gordon, the defensive stopper regularly assigned to cover the opponent’s best scorer.

5. Nuggets are Championship Caliber

If any doubt lingered, this homestand proved the Nuggs can handle other playoff-caliber teams (Miami, Atlanta, and Portland). Their depth, defense and MVP candidate show they have the ingredients for not only a deep playoff run but bringing home the title.

Let’s remember, during the undefeated homestand the Nuggs withstood nearly a total absence of MPJ due to injury. They were also without their top two scorers Jokic and Barton for one game each.

Whether or not Jamal Murray returns in time for the playoffs, the Nuggs should set the bar no lower than an NBA championship.