The Nuggets are finally back to full health, with the return of Peyton Watson, and they've got a good 128-112 win over the Portland Trail Blazers to welcome him back. But, pump the brakes, because Bill Simmons still has concerns for the Nuggets because of the clutch issues that have been following them since Nikola Jokic returned from injury at the end of January.
Simmons was joined by Zach Lowe on the most recent "The Bill Simmons Podcast," and the pair brought up the Nuggets' recent performance in the clutch, which Simmons likened to a smelly car of all things. He must have been referring to that egg-like odor a burnt-out clutch makes to refer to the Nuggets' poor clutch performances this year.
Simmons lamented, "I feel like they might lose anytime they are in this situation. I should feel the opposite because they have Jokic on their team."
It's a relatable feeling because the Nuggets have been playing some stinky clutch basketball. They are just 5-9 since the start of February, and their 14 clutch games are tied for the most clutch games over that time. They're just 18-19 on the season in the clutch.
Simmons had concerns surrounding coaching as well
Simmons wasn't finished with his concerns. He had "mild coaching questions" about head coach David Adelman, who has been the Nuggets' head coach for nearly a full year now. It boiled down to one main concern.
"It’s nothing beyond this. I don’t know how you blow this many games in the last couple of minutes, and in these overtimes," Simmons said.
And he's right. The Nuggets have played in 18 one-possession games and lost 11. Both lead the league. At some point, coaching has to be a question, so Simmons was right to question the biggest change for the Nuggets this season compared to last.
Simmons thinks the Nuggets' offense is predictable
Simmons wasn't finished with his concerns, and he picked on the offense last. He thinks the Nuggets are too "Jokic-centric" and don't move enough to create opportunities for others besides Jamal Murray.
He and Lowe pointed to some of the lowest post-up numbers of Jokic's career, and they think he's settling for too many jumpers. Perhaps. Jokic is averaging 4.7 three-point attempts per game, tied with last season for the most in his career.
But in the end, they both liked the Nuggets to beat the Lakers in the playoffs, even if the Lakers go in with the higher seed. And that's the sentiment around the NBA. The Nuggets are still picked as a top-four team in the West by most and as a championship contender. Even with their clutch woes, as long as the Nuggets have Jokic, they're in a good spot.