Denver Nuggets: Takeaways from Their Preseason Finale
Oct 21, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler (21) drives to the net against Dallas Mavericks guard Deron Williams (8) and center Andrew Bogut (6) and guard Wesley Matthews (23) in the second quarter at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
The Denver Nuggets started off hot and never cooled down, as they sailed to an easy win against the Dallas Mavericks in an outstanding overall team effort.
Once Emmanuel Mudiay returns to action, he may need to adjust his game to better fit the Nuggets new and emerging team-first mentality, driven by the front-court pairing of Jokic and Nurkic, which once again flourished in Friday’s unchallenged victory.
The final score was 101-75, and if nothing else, another game of domination on the glass was to thank. In the end, the Nuggets nearly doubled their opponents’ rebounding totals, grabbing 49 boards compared to Dallas’ 28. But aside from the raw numbers, an underlying catalyst emerged right from the opening tip; teamwork.
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The Nuggets accomplished their rebounding feat collectively. No single player reached double-digit boards. Kenneth Faried led the team with 9 rebounds, and nearly made a double-double out of his 21 minute performance, as he added 10 points to the scoreboard as well. On a side note, the preseason experiment of playing Faried off the bench was once again met with success, and will likely be carried into the regular season. Behind him were three Nuggets players, each with 6 rebounds in their box scores. When the final buzzer rang out, every single active Nuggets player had recorded at least one rebound. The team looked energized, pumped up, and ready for the season to begin.
To be fair, the results of this preseason game were partially due to a Mavericks team that looked completely out of sync. But still, the Nuggets’ ability to so successfully employ the new weapons that have been brought to the table should not be diminished.
“Jurkic”, teamwork, and adjusting Mudiay’s play should all be the focus after Friday’s powerhouse performance.
First off, and most importantly, the newfound glory that is “Jurkic” (a starting front-court duo of Nikola Jokic and Jusuf Nurkic) looks primed and ready for the regular season. These big men know how to work together. Their success as a duo comes from a few shared characteristics.
Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
Primarily, their passing abilities, as big men, opens up all sorts of offensive looks. This is complimented by their shooting touch. While neither is ready to become a knock-down three-point shooter, they can both hit two-point jumpers with enough consistency to be threatening, and show reliability in hitting their free-throws. Both big men have also improved their post-up games significantly. They open up a triple threat nearly every time that either player gets the ball.
These men can pass, shoot, and post up. Running the offense through these bigs has worked pretty darn well, and all without taking away from the productivity of key players like Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Kenneth Faried, and so on. In fact, these players all seem to be quite comfortable with their “Jurkic” influenced roles. They can now focus on executing their strengths instead of overstepping their own talents.
Gallinari has been particularly efficient while playing with the pairing Jokic and Nurkic. This continued into Fridays game, as he went 4/4 from the field, hitting 2-2 three-pointers, and going 6-6 from the line. Playing “Jurkic” has led to dignified team efforts. Without the raw talent that many other NBA teams have, playing as one cohesive team should be atop the Nuggets’ priority list. The biggest internal threat to this may be the return of Emmanuel Mudiay.
Adjusting Mudiay: How and Why
The young guard is feisty on the court, and loves to create for himself and others. Unfortunately, he often does so with a premature aggressiveness. With the way that the team seems to click while running through “Jurkic”, it may be wise to advise Mudiay against his naturally favored quick-attacks.
Using the shot clock to find smart looks was a huge part of the Nuggets’ offensive success on Friday. Even though the team has a reputation for playing run-and-gun basketball, they have not found much overall success with it. When Mudiay returns, the best option for the team seems to be saving his slashing for bailout situations.
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Instead of having Emmanuel run into the paint with a head of steam 5 seconds into the shot clock, let’s have him go for it when 5 seconds are left on the shot clock.
Jan 23, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari (8) and guard Emmanuel Mudiay (0) celebrate during the second half against the Detroit Pistons at Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 104-101. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Playing Like a Team
The offense can still move quickly, as it did Friday, but the shots do not need to come with the same sort of haste.
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Nuggets players were running around a lot and making smart passes, which worked particularly well against the veteran-loaded Mavericks team. Throughout the entire game, the Nuggets looked uncharacteristically calm, cool, and collected. After Friday’s eye-opening success, it should officially be time to slow things down a bit, from a shots perspective.
This does not mean passing up on good looks, but it does mean using the 24 seconds that are given to you. This simply must be translated into Mudiay’s play upon his return. Like Gallinari, Mudiay will have an opportunity to strike more efficiently and effectively while playing with “Jurkic”, and the ease of responsibility should come as a welcome adjustment for the young guard. Taking a dip in shots attempted may throw off his mojo a bit to start, but once it starts translating into wins, Mudiay should have no problem embracing the team-driven mentality which may just define the 2016-17 Nuggets.
Against the Mavericks, every starter finished with at least two assists. Digging a little deeper into the box score reveals that every player (besides PF/C J. Stokes) recorded at least one assist as well. This sort of distribution, mimicked by the team’s aforementioned rebounding performance, and scoring too, as all but one player scored at least two points, might inherently translate into less exciting basketball. But, it should also mean more consistency, and more wins.
Oct 21, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Gary Harris (14) during a timeout in the third quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 101-75. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
The Nuggets should play like… the Spurs?
If the Nuggets looked like any other NBA team as the played Friday, it was the San Antonio Spurs, a team known infamously for their “boring” play. But let’s not forget, the Spurs get wins, and the Spurs get rings.
Something tells me that sacrificing excitement for these commodities would be a welcome exchange for Nuggets players and fans. Here’s to hoping that “Jurkic” spawns a Spurs-like “boring” season of success!
In the meantime, enjoy the funny picture of the currently sidelined Gary Harris. His anticipated return should compliment the Jokic + Nurkic system.