If there’s one thing the Nuggets must improve, it’s their defense. They were undone in the playoffs by the elite defense of the Thunder and especially the overly physical approach taken by Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, and others.
During training camp and preseason, we heard Nuggets players talking about ramping up aggression and physicality, employing a new scheme on the defensive end. But now that the regular season has started, the players seem ready to take it to another level.
After the Nuggets’ recent victory over the Kings, Bruce Brown was asked about physical defense during his press conference and talked about how referees will allow physical defenders to have more leeway and get away with more fouls than other players.
Specifically, he stated, “Lu Dort has a reputation of being a physical defender, so they don’t really call much on him. (I’m) just trying to do that.” Clearly, the Nuggets have noticed a pattern involving certain players and referees, and they want to use it to their advantage.
Nuggets must gain reputation for physical defense
Now, the hard part will be earning the desired reputation. The Nuggets’ coaches and players seem to have realized a way to gain an edge with the officials, but putting this theory into practice may be difficult.
Players like Dort and Caruso have spent years playing a certain way, which has helped them establish these reputations. Refs know them as strong, physical defenders. They let them push the envelope and get away with a lot more than some other players.
But the Nuggets’ players don’t have that reputation. If guys like Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray suddenly decide they are going to swarm people and get super handsy, it would be a noticeable change, and the officials would almost certainly call them on it.
It’s a tough situation and a bit of a catch-22. The officials obviously shouldn’t be calling the game differently for different players, but there’s clearly an element of human nature that’s almost impossible to turn off.
Whether Denver is able to pull this off or not is anyone’s guess, but the fact that they are talking about it and making a concerted effort to establish this culture and style is a promising sign for the defense moving forward.