For the first time, I get to write one of these articles with Denver coming off a win.
The Nuggets defeated the Toronto Raptors last night in an overtime affair. Denver had to work hard for the win despite Toronto having several injuries to contend with. Nikola Jokic had his second straight game of 40+ points, and Jamal Murray hit a clutch buzzer beater layup to send the game to overtime. The Nuggets ultimately won, but they probably should have won by more.
Now, let’s delve into the Brooklyn Nets.
Denver Nuggets @ Brooklyn Nets
Projected Starting Lineups
Denver: Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic
Brooklyn: Dennis Schroder, Cam Thomas, Cam Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Nicolas Claxton
Key Bench Players
Denver: Russell Westbrook, Julian Strawther, Peyton Watson, Dario Saric
Brooklyn: Shake Milton, Ziaire Williams, Jalen Wilson, Noah Clowney
Notable Injuries
Denver: DaRon Holmes II – OUT, Jamal Murray might have an injury from Monday night
Brooklyn: Ben Simmons – OUT, Bojan Bogdanovic – OUT, Day’Ron Sharpe – OUT, Trendon Watford – QUES
Key for the Nuggets – Where will the energy come from?
The Nuggets starters, from point guard to center, played 40, 40, 39, 42, and 44 minutes last night to eke out a win against the Raptors. It wasn’t a great sign for their energy and effectiveness heading into a back-to-back on the road. Nikola Jokic has scored 40 in back-to-back games. Perhaps he can do it again, but expecting such a performance would be wild. Jamal Murray looked banged up at the end of last night. Aaron Gordon had to slide to backup center because Dario Saric was that bad.
Who will be the one to step up and lead the Nuggets from an energy perspective? Will it be the starters once again? Christian Braun is still young and spry. What about Julian Strawther or Peyton Watson off the bench? Maybe this is the exact moment the Nuggets need Russell Westbrook?
Time will tell.
Important Matchup – Nikola Jokic vs Nic Claxton
Jokic’s effectiveness isn’t a question in this matchup. He will find a way to impact the game in a major way, even on a back-to-back, against Claxton and the Nets frontcourt. Ben Simmons is out with back injury management (I wonder if that had anything to do with Jokic coming to town or not) so Claxton will be relied upon. In the past, the Nets have slid Dorian Finney-Smith and Cam Johnson up a spot and just bombed away from three. Maybe that still happens.
Jokic has also allowed other centers to have good games against him though. Chet Holmgren had 25 points on 18 shots. Ivica Zubac had 24 points on 17 shots. Last night, Jakob Poeltl had 16 points on 13 shots to go with 19 rebounds. Jokic’s defense has never been his calling card, but he’s solid when he tries.
The problem is, while he’s asked to score and carry the Nuggets like this, he can’t also go all out defensively. That will leave some easy baskets for Claxton (or Noah Clowney). Jokic just has to limit the number of easy ones and Denver will be okay.
Number of the Day – 3,288
Or more accurately, nine years. The last nine years in fact. That’s how many days of Jokic’s NBA career there have been from his first regular season game.
In that time, he has never once had back-to-back 40+ point performances…until last night.
Treasure these moments, Nuggets fans. Jokic continues to break records in front of our eyes. He won’t be doing it forever.
Nugget who should have a good game: Julian Strawther
So far this season, Julian Strawther is shooting 66.7% from three-point range. The problem? He’s only 4-of-6 through three games. Teams seem to know how good of a shooter he is, and Strawther has combined an increased reputation with more judicious shot selection.
That, frankly, can’t happen today. If the Nuggets are going to win, someone needs to take some pressure off the starting unit. Who better to do that than Strawther? The Nuggets need his floor spacing, and they need his shot making. The rest of the rotation has struggled in that regard. Strawther needs to make himself available and be willing to let shots fly. The Nuggets need him today.