It's not something we want to admit, but we can't shake the feeling that's been surrounding the Nuggets of late. And on the latest edition of The Bill Simmons Podcast, Zach Lowe made a statement that's been on Nuggets fans' minds, saying out loud what we haven't been able to out of fear it could be true. "It just might be the year it doesn’t happen."
Bill Simmons agreed, "Sadly, deep down, I’m feeling the same way." Lowe continued, "It does have a feel, like, sometimes it just doesn’t come together. We’re not there yet."
Exactly. That's not a reality we're willing to accept yet, at least not before we see what happens when Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson return to the court. They're expected back as early as the Nuggets' 62nd game, when there will be 20 left in the season. And not a moment too soon.
It's a sentiment Simmons echoed, "Gordon’s going to come back, that’s going to change things. And Watson." Lowe backed him up, "Can’t panic because these guys are coming back."
It's been a long road waiting on Gordon and Watson
It's only been about six weeks since Aaron Gordon left the lineup for the second time this season, and four for Watson, but it's felt like an eternity. The Nuggets clearly miss Gordon. They're 17-6 with him on the floor, 21-18 without him. And in the clutch, they're abnormally bad.
The Nuggets currently rank 27th in net rating in the clutch. Net rating is just the difference between the offensive and defensive rating.
That number stands in stark contrast to years past, years the Nuggets finished third, first, and third, going back to the last three years. And they have only a 15-16 record in clutch games to show for it, which is actually kind of respectable given how low the net rating is.
Denver's clutch time woes are so bad that it prompted Simmons to say they've "blown so many games at the end of games, which I just didn’t think was possible." Based on the past few years' results, and having the three-time MVP Nikola Jokic leading the way, we didn't think so either, Bill. Those one-point, last-second games really add up.
We're still left with questions yet to be answered
"The problem here is that Jokic is having an all-time season and Murray is having the best season of his life," Simmons said. "We shouldn’t have this many questions." But here we are, and we do.
The injuries finally caught up to the Nuggets. Cam Johnson just came back and has gone right out, already missing the game against the Jazz with an ankle injury.
The question of how this team looks at full strength, with Gordon and Watson, who came out of nowhere, remains to be seen. And that's the last bit of optimism we're latching onto right now. Otherwise, Lowe would probably be closer to right than wrong.