To begin the brand new yr, Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone needs his staff to play like they’re in a playoff collection, and that is precisely what they did within the second half towards the Hawks. ‘Atlanta. The Nuggets gave up 71 factors within the first half, and Malone I wasn’t a fan of thateven when they received.
“There have been too many situations within the first half the place we have been actually going backwards, and it appeared like we have been simply attempting to outplay groups,” Malone stated by way of Nuggets reporter Ryan Blackburn. “It may work in the midst of the season. This may work for some time, but when we wish to be a staff that actually needs to win at a excessive stage and attempt to make the playoffs and win a playoff collection, you possibly can’t simply surrender 70+ factors in a single half.
The second half was utterly totally different for the Nuggets, particularly the third quarter, the place they solely allowed the Hawks to attain 24 factors. From there, the Nuggets blew the sport away and the Hawks struggled attempting to battle again into the sport.
The Nuggets are very conversant in how the playoffs play out, as they have been on a number of deep runs themselves. A staff just like the Hawks needs to outplay you virtually each evening, however the Nuggets know that typically you need to sluggish the sport down and lock down defensively.
Nuggets wish to deal with protection
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The Nuggets are an excellent offense, and that is as a result of they’re led by Nikola Jokic. For this reason they’ll rating 70 factors in a half so simply, however additionally they wish to not surrender 70 factors on protection.
“Proper now we’re actually good offensively, however to make us probably the greatest groups within the league like we have been prior to now, we have to get higher defensively,” Michael Porter Jr. stated after the match. . “After which, I believe we now have the entire bundle and we will beat anybody. However proper now, we’re elite offensively and we’re very center of the pack, if not decrease, defensively.
The Nuggets have been with out one in all their defensive shooters, Aaron Gordon, who more often than not is guarding the opposing staff’s finest participant. It will probably’t simply be him taking part in protection, however it should take a staff effort in the event that they wish to get the place they wish to go. Because the season progresses, it would not be a shock in the event that they proceed to enhance on that aspect of the ball.
