The Denver Nuggets had been flying high for most of the season but have entered a rough patch of form with a few surprising losses.
After losing to the Brooklyn Nets tonight, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone criticized how his team has been playing defense.
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The Nuggets struggled mightily while guarding the Nets in a 122-120 loss. Brooklyn used their 3-and-D forward depth to go small whenever they needed, a strategy that the Nuggets had no answer for. Nikola Jokic’s defense has been pretty bad over the last few months, but the small Nets lineup allowed him to punish the board and grab 20 rebounds in a triple-double with 35 points and 11 assists.
Are The Nuggets Title Contenders?
Most fans and experts have glossed over what the Nuggets can achieve in the playoffs given the 2 years of disappointment that precede this season. A significant difference is that Denver is actually healthy for the first time since the 2020 playoffs and the presence of players like Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. will be massive for Jokic.
The Nuggets could face some stylistic nightmares in the first round. The most likely opponents for the Nuggets now seem to be the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers. Both teams can challenge the Nuggets in a possible 1-8 matchup in the first round, giving them a lot of trouble.
The NBA Champion is likely coming from the Eastern Conference this season, but it’ll be interesting to see whether the Nuggets can improve their team defense through the final stretch of games this season. If they can’t, some major changes need to be made to the franchise over the summer.
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