OK, reality-check time. The Nuggets have not proven anything substantial yet this year. They have not clinched one of the top two seeds in the West. They have not clinched the Northwest Division. They haven’t even clinched a playoff spot yet. We sometimes get caught up in the win streaks and recent success, but the Nuggets eventually have a game that get brings us back to Earth.
The Nuggets’ individual posteriors were put on a platter and handed over by the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night. Mediocre would be a flattering word in reference to Denver’s defense. Steve Nash and the Suns picked apart the Nuggets and their defensive schemes, draining three-pointers and getting in the paint like it was their jobs. Which it was. Come to think of it, executing in an offensive set is every team’s objective when they have the ball. Stopping them from executing so easily should be a defensive priority, and the Nuggets seemed lackadaisical at times in that department.
The Nuggets have rarely been blown out this year, especially at home. Protecting the home court so efficiently this year is the reason the Nuggets have one of the top records in the league. Every once in a while they will lose at home, but they should really never get blown out. The fans became so disinterested at one point that the wave became the focal point at one point. Whether the Nuggets improve on the road or not will be an important signal as to their ability to hang with the Lakers in a seven game series, especially if they don’t have the home court advantage.
It will be nice to get Carmelo Anthony’s offense back, but offense wasn’t really the main issue on Wednesday night. The Nuggets tend to be at their best when they are forcing turnovers and missed shots. Even if this doesn’t fuel a fast break, it swings the momentum heavily in their favor. Grittiness and toughness on the defensive end of the floor is an aspect of Denver’s game we have seen in the past, and with an offense as potent as theirs, may be the most important aspect in remaining an elite team.
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Pretty good analysis. I was starting to get all pumped and telling random people how sick the nuggets are, but you have brought me back down to earth. If the nuggets are gonna beat the stupid Lakers in the playoffs they will need to keep improving on defense. On another sweet note, the Cardinals got Holliday back, boom baby. I know g-holtz speed is pumped about this, haha.
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