Another day, another Denver Nuggets game. This one is against a bad Eastern Conference opponent missing the majority of its rotation and with an incentive to tank.
Nikola Jokic is questionable, and Aaron Gordon has been upgraded to doubtful. Gordon went from doubtful to questionable to playing the last time he came back from a calf strain, so there’s an outside chance the Nuggets get back both starters tonight.
Let’s delve into the Brooklyn Nets matchup:
Denver Nuggets vs Brooklyn Nets
Projected Starting Lineups
Denver: Russell Westbrook, Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Michael Porter Jr., DeAndre Jordan
Brooklyn: Keon Johnson, Ziaire Williams, Tyrese Martin, Ben Simmons, Nic Claxton
Key Bench Players
Denver: Julian Strawther, Peyton Watson, Jalen Pickett/Hunter Tyson, Dario Saric
Brooklyn: Reece Beekman, Jalen Wilson, Noah Clowney, I honestly have no flipping idea at this point
Notable Injuries
Denver: Nikola Jokic – QUESTIONABLE, Aaron Gordon – DOUBTFUL, Vlatko Cancar – OUT, DaRon Holmes II – OUT
Brooklyn: D’Angelo Russell – OUT, Cam Thomas – OUT, Cam Johnson – OUT, De’Anthony Melton – OUT, Bojan Bogdanovic – OUT, Dariq Whitehead – OUT, Trendon Watford – OUT
Key for the Nuggets – Staying Focused
I’m looking at the injury report and the lineup the Nets are about to put on the floor in this game, and my first thought goes to Michael Malone. After turning the page on a great win vs the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, he’s likely thinking “Letdown Game” for this one. The Nets don’t really have any solid point guards healthy. Ben Simmons (talented but fragile) is one option, while Reece Beekman (10 career NBA games) is another. The Nets are hurt half to hell, and yes, they’re also tanking…this is a clear letdown spot for Denver even if Nikola Jokic makes his return.
Fortunately for Denver, Russell Westbrook is a good player to have in this spot. He’s going to keep the pedal to the metal, and on a night like tonight, that’s probably the best thing for Denver.
Important Matchup – Michael Porter Jr. vs Ben Simmons
Simmons isn’t on the injury report, so he’s likely the most talented Nets player to suit up tonight. He’s averaging 5.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 6.9 assists in just over 25 minutes per game this season, shooting the ball just 4.9 times per game. On the surface, that’s really bad, and underneath all the drama and circumstance…it’s still pretty bad.
I feel for Simmons. He had the same back surgery that Porter had at one point, and it’s difficult to play basketball with a back that doesn’t function properly. Simmons’ struggles give me a healthy reminder that it’s really hard to return from back surgery. Porter’s done it three times, and he’s playing the best basketball of his career this season. Porter and Simmons will likely match up several times throughout this game, so it will be interesting to watch MPJ in those moments.
Number of the Day – 103.5
103.5 is Denver’s offensive rating in the halfcourt this season, according to Cleaning the Glass. It ranks fourth in the NBA, behind only the other top three offenses in the NBA in Cleveland, Boston, and New York.
The Nuggets have the best halfcourt offense in the Western Conference. A lot of that comes from the Nikola Jokic minutes of course, as the Nuggets have an impressive 110.0 offensive rating in the halfcourt with Jokic ON the floor.
On the season, the Nuggets halfcourt offensive rating with Jokic OFF the floor is bad (89.7), but there have been some encouraging factors lately. All lineups on the season that include Jamal Murray and DeAndre Jordan ON and Nikola Jokic OFF are up to 99.7 in 374 possessions. Sub out Jordan for Dario Saric and it drops back down into the 80’s. Sub in Zeke Nnaji instead and it gets way worse.
The Nuggets have settled on their backup center in DeAndre Jordan, and it’s paying dividends for the most part. There are matchups he won’t succeed in, but the Nuggets will soon have Aaron Gordon back to navigate some of the perimeter based issues he might face.
Nugget who should have a good game: Christian Braun
Oh? The Brooklyn Nets are without a consistent point guard and are shorthanded at altitude against an elite running team? Sound the alarm bells for your transition specialists.
Remember that game against the Utah Jazz when Braun nearly set a franchise record for fast break points? This game has potential for something like that. Let’s see if Braun can get some easy buckets.