Statistics has been a major part of basketball in the modern era. We often see teams track certain custom statistics that help them improve their performances, and it seems as though the Denver Nuggets have done the same.
Coach Mike Malone has recently revealed that the Denver Nuggets will start to track a stat called “The Hubie”. One “Hubie” happens when an offensive player ends up shooting the ball but doesn’t go for an offensive rebound or run back to set up on defense.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone said the team has a new stat this year: “The Hubie.”
If an offensive player shoots it and doesn’t crash the glass or get back on defense, that’s a Hubie.
In other words, per Malone, “If you’re not here, or there, where the **** are you?”
— Mike Singer (@msinger) October 1, 2022
Nuggets coach Michael Malone said the team has a new stat this year: “The Hubie.” If an offensive player shoots it and doesn’t crash the glass or get back on defense, that’s a Hubie. In other words, per Malone, “If you’re not here, or there, where the **** are you?”
There is no doubt that this is a good statistic to track, as it discourages players from being inactive after shooting the ball. Obviously, the goal for any player is to either get a stop or an offensive rebound after missing a shot, and the fewer “Hubies” a player gets, the better.
Hopefully, we see this help the Denver Nuggets become a much better team with this being implemented next season. This is a fantastic idea, and perhaps we’ll see it pay dividends in the future.
The Denver Nuggets Should Be Contenders When Fully Healthy
The Denver Nuggets were eliminated in the first round by the Golden State Warriors during the 2022 playoffs. That is entirely understandable, as Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. were absent due to injuries. However, the team should definitely be a contender during this upcoming season as they are finally fully healthy.
The key to the Denver Nuggets competing obviously lies with Nikola Jokic. He is the reigning MVP and is widely considered the best passing big man that the league has ever seen. This season, he averaged 27.1 PPG, 13.8 RPG, and 7.9 APG for the team. The team relies a lot on him being a top-tier offensive player, though obviously, his load on that end of the floor will likely be reduced once his co-stars are back in action.
Hopefully, we see the Denver Nuggets find some success next year. They made the Western Conference Finals during the 2020 playoffs but have failed to reach the same heights since then. They definitely have the talent needed to get far in the playoffs and potentially win a championship, and we’ll have to wait to see how far they end up getting.
