The Denver Nuggets' pursuit of a second championship in three seasons continues, but accomplishing that goal is going to be far from easy. This team is now without Aaron Gordon once again, as the all-important wing went down with calf tightness against the Oklahoma City Thunder this past weekend.
Nikola Jokic is still playing some of the best basketball of his storied career. His unbelievable 30-20-20 game put him right back at the top of the MVP ladder, but will his otherworldly impact be enough to put this team over the top in the playoffs? There are a few other factors at play that will determine the answer to that question.
As the playoffs approach, one of the biggest factors in determining how far the Nuggets go will be their interior defense and rim protection. Without Gordon roaming around, it is going to be easier for teams to attack the paint and get good looks at the rim. If Denver's opponents are able to get Jokic defending in space and create more room on the interior, it could be bad news for the Nuggets' hopes of making another deep playoff run.
The Nuggets' interior defense and rim protection is lacking
We saw this concept on display during Wednesday night's loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Anthony Edwards and company were able to put Denver in a tough spot with their versatility on offense and as a result, produced 52 points in the paint for the evening. It was one of the main reasons the Nuggets came away with their third loss to the Wolves this season.
The numbers tell us that this is one of Denver's biggest problems as well. On the year, they are giving up the seventh-most points in the paint per game, behind only the Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans, Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards, Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks. Clearly, something is going to have to change in this department.
We know that defense reigns supreme once the playoffs come around. The Nuggets need Gordon to shore up their interior defense, and life will continue to be difficult without him. Denver can still perhaps lock up the second seed without AG, but it feels hard to say they can get back to the Western Conference Finals or NBA Finals if he is not around to plug the holes in their rim protection.