Before the loss to the Clippers, Nuggets fans could argue that they deserved to be placed fifth in Marc Stein's latest power rankings, right where they were in late December. But after that bad loss, fans are coming to the realization of what Stein exposes in his latest update. Not only are the Nuggets not a top-five team currently, but they have more issues than we'd like to admit they have.
Call it homerism, call it looking at our squad with rose-colored glasses on, call it what you will. We haven't been as honest as we need to be about the flaws the Nuggets are currently sporting. And Stein points them out to back up the sixth-place ranking he bestowed upon the Nuggets. Which now seems almost too generous.
The truth stings, especially after another tough one-point loss due to clutch failures, something Stein didn't even bring up in his list of things that have to change for the Nuggets to get back on track. The Nuggets might have more holes currently than a slice of Swiss cheese.
The Nuggets have a few items in need of repair
To be fair, Stein did say that when healthy, the Nuggets likely pose the biggest threat to OKC in the West. But the harsh reality is that right now, Denver's not. They haven't been. Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson, two key pieces of the lineup, are still out with hamstring injuries. They will both require a few more weeks of recovery.
Stein also points out the contradiction in scoring balance. Yes, the Nuggets can score, we know that. They lead the league in scoring. But as he points out, and it stands out so much more after these close losses, the defense stinks. A lot. Ranked 24th, just ahead of teams jostling for the number one pick in the upcoming draft.
To top it all off, the Nuggets even have the hardest final stretch of any team in the NBA. With 26 games left, their opponents' winning percentage is .553. They face the Thunder three more times, Wemby and the Spurs three more times, and two top Eastern Conference teams, the Knicks and the Celtics.
It's an uphill battle the rest of the way. Every game, every point matters. They've already slipped to fourth in the Western Conference.
It sounds cliché, but it's real for Denver right now. Each close loss seems to dig deeper into their collective soul as a team, placing doubt in the back of their minds. They never lost games the way they've been losing them in the past.
They've got the championship merit. They've got the mindset. We know it's there. They've won a title and pushed OKC to seven games last year. They've won the close games before. But right now the Nuggets aren't getting it done. And it's a tough pill to swallow.