The Cleveland Cavaliers visit Denver in what is sure to be a much more difficult matchup than it looked on paper just a week ago. That's because the Cavs just completed a trade-deadline blockbuster that saw them swap James Harden from the Clippers for Darius Garland. The Cavs' new-look offense will be a challenging matchup for Denver defensively.
Both Harden and Donovan Mitchell can score in droves, and neither of them is afraid to shoot the ball with the slightest of space on the perimeter. Mitchell is averaging a career-high 28.9 points per game this season. Harden, at age 36, may not score as he did 10 years ago, but he's still averaging 23 a game, and he's still distributing the ball well, providing 8 assists per game, too.
Denver has had problems rotating and has allowed many open looks on the perimeter of late. In their loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Cason Wallace had a career-high 7 made threes, most of them wide-open looks. Christian Braun and Julian Strawther will both have to be on their best tonight because it will be a long one if the Nuggets let Harden or Mitchell get free like Wallace did.
But the Cavs only play league-average defense, and Harden's defense is even worse. They're without one of their top post players, too. Evan Mobley is sidelined for the next couple of weeks. Plus, the Cavs have only had one game to gel together. The door is open for the Nuggets.
The Nuggets' offense is a wagon
It's not hyperbole. The Nuggets are the best offensive team in the NBA. They're averaging 120.4 points per game, and they just had their highest point total since Christmas, 136 points, in Chicago.
They'll look to Julian Strawther to continue his recent run of excellent play on offense, too. Strawther has been inserted into the starting lineup due to injuries suffered by Aaron Gordon, Peyton Watson, and Spencer Jones. His sterling play of late gives coach David Adelman's team one extra potent perimeter weapon.
However, the pre-game injury report included Jamal Murray, who is questionable with right-hip inflammation. But, it doesn't appear too serious as he told coach Adelman after the game that he was "OK."
Chances are pretty high that the game turns into a shoot-out. That should favor the Nuggets and their league-leading shooting. But if they fall behind early, all bets are off, and it will be up to coach Adelman to find yet another successful rotation to play.