The Denver Nuggets reverted to their typical ways to start the 2017-18 season. Turnovers, a lack of urgency and rotational decisions have the Nuggets sitting at 1-2 through three games, although they could easily be 3-0 had the miscues from last season not carried over.
It’s only three games into an 82-game season, so Denver has plenty of time to squash these issues and move forward. Their four-game East Coast swing that begins Thursday would be a good place to start.
All four games are winnable for Denver. It’s essential the Nuggets take advantage of the weak opposition on this road trip and return to Pepsi Center with a winning record. With games against the Charlotte Hornets, Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks there is no reason the Nuggets, a team with playoff expectations, should not win at least three games on this swing out east.
The Hawks, Hornets, and Knicks all rank within the bottom third in points per game, with New York ranking dead last in the entire NBA. Also, Denver ranks ahead of every team except Charlotte in defensive rating.
The Nuggets have a roster built to win now and will be playing teams who are either rebuilding or middle-of-the-pack in the weak Eastern Conference.
There has been some clunk in the Nuggets’ play to open the year and the road trip represents the perfect opportunity for Denver to refine their game and kick things into gear this season.
Nikola Jokic has been hot and cold as he continues to get acclimated to playing alongside All-Star Paul Millsap. This has been just one issue the Nuggets have run into during the early stages of the season. Additionally, their inability to play at a high level for four quarters has hampered them. Several times the Nuggets have managed to string together three-quarters of solid basketball, but in the end, one quarter has been the difference between a win and loss.
Denver needs to establish tenacity and resiliency in all aspects in order to live up to their preseason hype.
ESPN placed Denver eighth in their Week 1 power rankings, while other national outlets have continued to show Denver love in rankings and outlooks for the future. While Denver is trending in the right direction overall, their early season stumbles already have the odds shifting.
Less then a week ago the Nuggets’ odds to win the Northwest Division sat at +550 (5.5-to-1) today they sit at +900 (9-to-1) which is ahead of the Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers, according to TopBet. Denver currently sits at +5,000 to win the Western Conference outright and +10,000 to take home the crown.
The Nuggets are trending upwards compared to seasons past, and the odds reflect that. It’s now up to the team to continue to earn the respect and recognition around the NBA by putting up actual wins. They have a prime chance to do so on this four-game road trip.