Basketball is back, and Denver Nuggets fans were understandably excited to watch the opening preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t the best showing with the Nuggets losing 125-116 in Pechanga Arena in San Diego.
Minnesota jumped out to an early lead and never relinquished it, maintaining an 8 to 15-point lead in perpetuity. Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, and Mike Conley all sat out while the Nuggets played their entire rotation, making it even more baffling that the Nuggets struggled to keep up on the defensive end.
Nuggets Defense slow to catch up
The Timberwolves ran whatever they wanted against the Nuggets and had significant success, scoring 40 points in the first quarter and 72 in the half. Denver’s starters only played the first half and struggled to make an impact defensively. The Nuggets forced just one turnover in the first half against a T’Wolves squad without their primary initiators, and Nikola Jokic in particular wasn’t disruptive in his minutes.
It’s important to note that this was the first preseason game. The Nuggets were never going to give full effort out of the gate, and effort is half the battle on the defensive end. Still, with the Nuggets primarily running defensive pick and roll coverages “at the level” it’s difficult for the defense to be successful without going full speed. The Timberwolves made open shots, made contested shots, got to the foul line, and rarely turned the ball over, a great recipe for success.
Jamal Murray, Peyton Watson stand out
On both ends of the floor, Denver’s two biggest standouts were Jamal Murray and Peyton Watson. Murray’s scoring volume wasn’t extensive, but he finished the first half with 12 points and five assists, operating under control for all of his minutes. Defensively, Murray gave up the occasional bucket, but his effort and attention to detail was higher on that end than anyone else in the starting unit. He’s setting a good example out of the gate. Hopefully, the rest of the group can follow his lead.
As for Waston, shooting 5-of-5 on a variety of finishes around the rim was nice to see. Watson finished the game with 10 points and four rebounds in his 18 minutes, making an impact all over the floor. Watson handled the ball well off the dribble, played under control, and finished strong consistently. He also made an impact defensively with his length, athleticism, and effort.
First Impressions for the New Guys
On a night when nobody played more than 20 minutes, all four of Cam Johnson, Jonas Valanciunas, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Bruce Brown got some run and made some plays.
Johnson had a nice backdoor cut and finish at the rim, reading Jokic’s playmaking well. He had a lower impact evening though, was out of position on defense at times, and didn’t make either of his three-point attempts.
Valanciunas anchored the offense as a post option, giving the Nuggets a featured option off the bench. His rim protection left something to be desired, but the big man still finished with six points, a nice dime to Julian Strawther, and two stocks.
Hardaway Jr. was the first player off the bench. He didn’t make any shots but still managed three assists, reading the floor well to set up others offensively.
Brown was surprisingly not the first player off the bench. He struggled operating as the backup point guard but still made an impact defensively. His fit with the other guards will be interesting if he’s not the primary initiator for the second unit.
Nuggets fans can take solace in the fact that the team they’re watching isn’t the team they will see on October 23rd. The effort level will be higher, the execution will be more crisp, and the details will be better honed.
Still, it wasn’t a great first showing. There are defensive concerns the team will face all year. Denver was pretty slow out there, whether they were slow to react or not going full speed or they simply aren’t a super athletic team doesn’t matter. Being slow means the details have to be great to make up for it. That didn’t happen in the preseason opener.
The Nuggets have another game on Monday night in Vancouver against the Toronto Raptors, a team that will play with some intensity and energy out of the gate. Let’s see if the Nuggets can amp it up for that matchup before making any sweeping conclusions about the entire season.