Welcome back Denver Nuggets fans. It’s been about a week. Regular season basketball resumes tonight for the Nuggets.
Let’s delve into the Charlotte Hornets matchup:
Denver Nuggets vs Charlotte Hornets
Projected Starting Lineups
Denver: Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic
Charlotte: LaMelo Ball, Nick Smith Jr., Josh Green, Miles Bridges, Mark Williams
Key Bench Players
Denver: Russell Westbrook, Julian Strawther, Zeke Nnaji, DeAndre Jordan
Charlotte: Elfrid Payton, Seth Curry, DaQuon Jeffries, Tidjane Salaun, Jusuf Nurkic
Notable Injuries
Denver: Michael Porter Jr. – PROBABLE, Jamal Murray – PROBABLE, Aaron Gordon – PROBABLE, Peyton Watson – OUT, Vlatko Cancar – OUT, DaRon Holmes II – OUT
Charlotte: Unknown. Second night of back-to-back.
Key for the Nuggets – Get the gang back together
All four of Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Russell Westbrook, and Peyton Watson missed the Nuggets final game before the All-Star break. After a week of rest, Porter and Gordon are probable to return tonight while Westbrook is off the injury report entirely. Watson still has a ways to go, but it will be good to see Denver get their rotation closer to full strength. There’s a ways to go before they’re fully good to go, but the reps playing together and attacking different situations will be extremely helpful.
The starting lineup will feature important questions with Westbrook returning. It’s good for the Nuggets to get some time to evaluate how he and Christian Braun continue to impact the game next to Denver’s other core starters. It’s possible that we see multiple lineup changes in the final 27 games.
But I have a better solution: the presence of six capable starters should give the Nuggets ample opportunity to rest each starter down the stretch (except possibly Jokic) to both offer recovery time but also to practice different lineups in preparation for the playoffs. Use having six capable starters to the advantage of everyone involved.
Important Matchup – Jamal Murray vs LaMelo Ball
Something that probably hasn’t been discussed enough to start this season: Murray has played 48 games and is on pace to play roughly 71 to 72 games this year. After a worrisome start to the season, Murray finished the pre All-Star portion of the season on a high note with a career high 55 points. He’s been rolling lately, helping the Nuggets win whether he’s scoring, playmaking, or making defensive plays.
On the other side, LaMelo Ball has played 34 games this year, including last night in a win vs the Los Angeles Lakers. Ball continues to struggle with health and availability, but when he’s out there, he can light it up. He missed the first matchup vs Denver, but the Nuggets have struggled against playmaking guards that are willing to take threes at a high clip. It’s likely that Ball will play well if he’s healthy.
Can Murray keep up his momentum? When he switches out vs LaMelo can he slow down the Hornets’ inconsistent star?
Number of the Day – 0.532
0.532 is the Nuggets remaining strength of schedule, according to Tankathon. That number ranks fifth in the NBA, representing the challenge the Nuggets are facing in their final 27 games of the season. They start with a relatively easy game tonight vs Charlotte on a back-to-back. If the Los Angeles Lakers can lose to the Hornets yesterday though, it’s up to the Nuggets to take the Hornets seriously today.
Nugget who should have a good game: Christian Braun
With the Hornets going small in their backcourt and having both LaMelo Ball and Nick Smith Jr. starting, one of those two will be guarding Braun. The Hornets are also a notoriously high turnover team, and the Lakers nearly won last night due to 24 fast break points. Of course, the Lakers still managed to lose.
In his first matchup against Charlotte, Braun logged 24 points and 11 rebounds while shooting 60% from the field. The circumstances haven’t changed here, so expect Braun to keep the pressure on in transition and back cut the Hornets as often as possible. Take the over on Jokic assists, whatever it is.
