The Nuggets had plenty of time off between games and most of it was filled with rumors and discourse around the media about how the team needs to make changes. Thursday night provided an opportunity for the team to respond and silence some of their critics, but instead, things went in the opposite direction.
The Nuggets went into Portland to face a struggling and rebuilding Blazers squad and got completely outclassed. The Blazers got out to a double-digit lead in the first half and it looked like the Nuggets were mostly going through the motions - especially on the defensive end.
They ramped things up and quickly went on a 10-0 run to tie things at 66 at halftime. But then the third quarter started and things got even worse. The Nuggets fell apart and got dominated on both ends in the frame, heading into the fourth down by 17.
What made things even more frustrating is that the team clearly flipped a switch in the fourth quarter and stormed all the way back to take a 2-point lead with under a minute left before getting sunken by an Anfernee Simons buzzer-beater to clinch a Blazers win, 126-124.
Nuggets were pathetic on the defensive end
The fact that the Nuggets were able to lock in down the stretch and hold the Blazers to just 22 points in the 4th quarter was promising, but they dug too big of a hole and they aren’t a good enough team to flip the switch. They played with fire and got burnt, which is extremely frustrating for a team that should be extra motivated.
Instead, they looked like a team that wasn’t overly engaged and went through stretches where it didn’t even seem like they cared. Trade rumors have been swirling and the consensus around the league is that the Nuggets need an insurgence of talent, specifically on offense.
But watching this game, it seems clear that the team’s biggest problems lie on the defensive end. Adding a player like Zach LaVine or Jordan Poole isn’t going to make these problems go away. For people yearning for Jimmy Butler, this game offered some solid supporting evidence for that case.
NBA teams definitely shouldn’t overreact or make drastic decisions based on a single game, but the issues on display are indicative or macro issues in Denver. The defense needs improvement, the three-point shooting needs improvement, the coaching needs improvement, and none of it is coming from within. Changes need to happen.