Another late, all-too-close defeat for the Denver Nuggets on Monday night, as they fell to the Toronto Raptors 105-102.
Similar to their two previous games, where they allowed stars Anthony Davis and Damian Lillard to ruin their defense single-handedly, the Nuggets allowed DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry to will the Raptors to victory late.
Early in the season, closing out games seems to be the biggest weakness for the Nuggets, but that can be fixed. Here’s how:
Limit The Turnovers
Turnovers continue to be a major concern for the Nuggets. In the first game, they had 25, including six from Emmanuel Mudiay alone. In three starts, Mudiay is averaging 4.3 turnovers per game, a number that would frustrate any coach.
In the second game, there was progress, but still, 10 turnovers, including a debilitating one from Kenneth Faried late in the fourth, ultimately led to Denver’s demise against Portland.
And on Monday, Denver again improved, cutting their turnover number down to eight, but sloppy play in the fourth again doomed the team.
Limiting these turnovers, especially in the fourth quarter, could go a long way towards winning these close games for the Nuggets.
Jusuf Nurkic Late In Games
I understand Coach Malone wants to experiment with lineups, especially so early in the season, but he needs to start settling in on a rotation, because it’s only hurting the Nuggets in the meantime.
For instance, until last night, why hasn’t Jusuf Nurkic been playing late in games? While the Nuggets have been finding some success early by feeding the big man in the post, he’s been nowhere to be seen late in games. In fact, through the first two games, Nurkic didn’t play a single minute in the fourth quarter or overtime.
Some of this has to do with matching up with the opposing team’s smaller lineups, but the Nuggets need to start forcing teams to adapt to them, not the other way around. If they’re going to find an advantage late in games, that’s it.
Let The “Others” Beat Them
If you’ve watched the games or even just taken a look at the box score, one thing should stand out: Star players have been star players.
First, Anthony Davis had himself one of his best games of his young career, throwing up 50 points, 16 rebounds and 5 assists. Then, Damian Lillard came to town and had 37 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. And on Monday, Kyle Lowry (29 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists) and Demar DeRozan (33 points, 5 rebounds) had great games, too.
The Nuggets have allowed the stars to get theirs, while focusing on defending the “others.” Maybe, if they did the opposite — force the “others” to beat them — they’d be 3-0, not 1-2?
Luckily for the Nuggets, two of their best defenders, Gary Harris and Darrell Arthur, are on the verge of returning from injury.