The Denver Nuggets Defense is BAD Again | Title Dream Crusher?
On the latest episode of Pickaxe and Roll, Ryan Blackburn breaks down the Denver Nuggets loss in the clutch to the Cleveland Cavaliers last night. He discusses why the Nuggets have struggled in the clutch so often before pivoting to the defense. Are the Nuggets good enough defensively to win a championship? Finally, he discusses a new Spencer Jones contract report.
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21 Comments
I totally disagree with that stat….coaches contribute to 3 to 4 wins…outside Xs and Os…they orchestrate the mood and motivation in the locker room
Jokic is still trying to get his conditioning back. After an entire month off … it's hard for a guy his size to step right back into things and play big minutes. He's definitely fatigued at the end of these close games recently. I think the lack of closing lineup continuity is also a large factor to some extent when it comes to the "why" they haven't been great in the clutch this year. New players + injuries will naturally just create longer adjustment periods.
Yet another brilliant take. The Nuggets, when healthy, were at the top of the league defensively early in the year. Then all their best defensive players got injured with long term injuries. AG injured twice with 4-6 week injuries. I know it's shocking, but when you lose your best defensive players it actually affects your D. I'm hoops Einstein here spitting out the amazing quantum facts that no one could possibly have imagined. I'm dealing in relativity theory level hoops here. The Nuggets haven't had AG for essentially the whole year and CB has barely played this year and Peyton is now down for month to 6 weeks. Who could possibly imagine the Nuggets would struggle defensively? It's a mystery that only mystics or physicists could possibly explain.
Our guards are the worst defensive guards in the League they can’t guard anyone No Clue no effort at All just Lazy
First Murray missed all them key free throws last week and now fouling a player when he didn’t have too Crazy Work
And this coach is Trash 🗑️ can’t manage minutes in the Clutch And Personnel decision horrible in the Clutch
Best player who can't guard and won't shoot makes for a narrow path to a chip. Don't care how hot Hardaway and Strawther are Jokic needs more fgas than them especially at end of games. Argh just frustrated and want the Nuggets to win it all.
Jamal Murray is the new Trea Young….huge defensive liability….if his shot is not falling we prob gonna lose.
Adelman is afraid to make in game substitutions….just like Malone….a good coach will adjust to the game
Denver's defensive problem is that several of its players don't know how to play team defense. If even one player in the starting five makes a mistake, the defense falls apart.
When Nikola or Jonas haven't been playing, the defense has been more or less effective because the team plays the simplest defense (and the one most commonly used in today's NBA): a one-on-one defense with constant switching. This defense depends solely on how well you can move your feet and get down low; in other words, on the athleticism of each player on the court.
However, if a team plays with a traditional center (tall, heavy, with slow lateral movement), this defense no longer works and becomes complicated. You have to double-team, rotate, watch the corners for cuts to the basket or open three-pointers, box out to secure rebounds, and so on. And it's crystal clear that either many players don't know how to play team defense, or the defensive coaching staff isn't doing its job properly.
On the other hand, what's concerning about Nikola is that since his return, he's focused most of his game on the perimeter, barely venturing into the paint. It's true that from outside the paint, he gives Denver's offense direction, like a true point guard, but without a balance with his presence inside, the team becomes more predictable, and we lose a lot. Jokić inside means a lot of points, offensive rebounding, and drawing fouls.
Why doesn't he want to play inside more? It's possible he's not yet physically ready to play much in the paint, but it's understandable because every time Nikola wants to play inside, it's isolated plays 10 feet from the basket where he has to expend a lot of energy. Why aren't there plays designed by the offensive coaching staff so that Jokić only has to finish in the paint, with other players creating the advantage?
In the other game, Jarrett Allen scored 22 points in the paint without creating a single advantage; that is, without tiring himself out. Other players (guards) created the advantage so that Jarrett Allen only had to finish the play by scoring with virtually no opposition or fatigue. Why is Denver the only team that can't consistently provide this ecosystem for Nikola?
Need better coaching I think. Don't like the rotation Adeleman is doing. Seems like Adeleman is struggling at this moment. Murray such a roller coaster player. There was no good shot for Jokic at the end. 2 guys on him. Hardaway should of hit the 3. WIDE OPEN.
Coach trade when. Need Malone back.
All the things on defence can be helped with getting Lonzo Ball. He is great POA defender, always forces turnovers. Has way above average steals per minutes played and is overall great. Just get him the vet minimum and get him out there
Excited about Nuggets ! Joker n his horsmen are getting stronger every day. Let's rock babyyyyyyyyyyyyy
This dude is so negative. He’s not really pointing out that the Nuggets are missing literally 70% of their team most of the season lol he’s just acting like that’s not a thing when they get healthy and when they rattle off like 10 or 11 in a row or go 15 and two over a stretch I wonder what he’s gonna say then.
I can’t give DA the benefit of the doubt when he refuses to play the two power forwards on the bench at the actual 4 that can be a help on defense at least
Nuggets defense problem is Jamal Murray. In the last game at the end on the last two cavs possessions for some reason jamal was guarding J Harden and D Mitchell. Jamal got beat and he fouled forcing them to the free throw line. Jamal is not a good defender and not quick. Why does he insist on guarding quicker players at clutch moments. How many times have nuggets lost games because of the same issue.
Put a faster better defender and tell jamal No.
Simple as that. Jamal cannot defend. Let’s wake up to reality
Looks like harden fouled Jokic on that turnover
Jokic's lack of defensive ability really shows. Teams are learning how to take advantage of that. Yeah Jokic gets a good number of steals and some blocks but he puts zero pressure on his man and is a traffic cone on the perimeter. In order to cover for that weakness, the team needs to be a well oiled machine. With all the injuries, that isn't going to happen.
Yes the defense could be better, but so could Adelman's knowledge about game momentums. Lost of fans post how its a game of runs. Fair point. But here is the thing, when you are up by say 10 or 12 points, then opponent starts to make a run. As a coach you do not just sit there and wait until the lead is down to 1 or flat out gone to take a time out. No. By then its too late. You take that as soon as the first few shots fall. That is how you help disrupt momentum. But Adelman learned from Malone to sit on the whistle versus take a time out. It worked, until, as discussed, other teams have learned, they adjust, Adelman, has trouble adjusting back.
Defense is always going to be an issue. Where becomes a non issue is if Jokic severely out plays the other teams center. He cant be even in scoring and rebounds he has to dominate. Allen had the same points and rebounds without the 8 turnovers and fhats why they lost. If the other teams center equals or outplays Jokic then the rest of the team has to outplay the rest of the other team. If jokic puts up 35pts and Allen has 22 that gives the others a 13 point cushion and when Jokic shoots more he usually doesnt fill up the turnover margin on the stat sheet