Hey look, the Denver Nuggets are on a three-game winning streak.
Let’s a take a little break from the trade rumors and preview the game tonight against the Portland Trail Blazers, an 8-18 squad that hasn’t won yet in December. That of course didn’t stop the Washington Wizards from beating Denver on the road, so the Nuggets will have to take this one seriously.
Let’s delve into the Portland Trail Blazers matchup:
Denver Nuggets @ Portland Trail Blazers
Projected Starting Lineups
Denver: Russell Westbrook, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic
Portland: Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, Toumani Camara, Jerami Grant, Donovan Clingan
Key Bench Players
Denver: Julian Strawther, Peyton Watson, Hunter Tyson, DeAndre Jordan
Portland: Scoot Henderson, Deni Avdija, Jabari Walker, Robert Williams
Notable Injuries
Denver: Christian Braun – QUESTIONABLE, Dario Saric – OUT, Vlatko Cancar – OUT, DaRon Holmes II – OUT
Portland: Matisse Thybulle – OUT, DeAndre Ayton – QUESTIONABLE, Dalano Banton – QUESTIONABLE
Key for the Nuggets – Avoiding turnovers
The Blazers aren’t good, and the Nuggets can’t be helping them out tonight. The Blazers struggle in a variety of areas, but they’re sixth in opponent turnover rate, forcing a number of steals and bad decisions. Toumani Camara and Dalano Banton lead the charge there with length and athleticism on the perimeter, while Donovan Clingan protects the rim and causes drivers to think in the middle of the floor rather than act. Deandre Ayton is questionable, and that definitely changes this matchup a bit.
If the Nuggets are going to have an efficient night, the best way they can do it is avoid hurting themselves. Attacking Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe will help them, but the Nuggets guards must do so in a smart way. In addition, getting the ball to Nikola Jokic against a rookie center is never a bad idea.
Important Matchup – Nikola Jokic vs Donovan Clingan (or Deandre Ayton)
As mentioned above, Ayton is questionable with an illness. If he misses the game, that pits Jokic against a talented but inexperienced rim protector in Clingan. Historically, Jokic has used these matchups to show the youngster some new post moves, ball fakes, and floaters over the top of outstretched fingertips.
Jokic has also “struggled” the last two games as a scorer with just 16 and 20 points respectively. This could be a great opportunity for him to get back to scoring a ton. though that may not even be what he wants to do with the Nuggets in the midst of a three-game winning streak.
Number of the Day – 9.2
That’s the Nuggets Net Rating with Nikola Jokic and Russell Westbrook on the floor together this season (+9.2 in 730 possessions via Cleaning the Glass).
It’s a really encouraging number. Westbrook is a unique talent, and Jokic has never played with anybody like him before with the combination of physical gifts, passing IQ, and shooting question marks. Saying those traits out loud, Aaron Gordon is a reasonable comparison, though Westbrook of course does it as one of the best point guards to ever play the game.
No matter the other situations, it’s always encouraging to see new additions to the roster flourish next to Jokic. It shows that the vision is good, and that Jokic remains truly great.
Nugget who should have a good game: Julian Strawther
If Dalano Banton (elite bench defender) doesn’t play, I’m calling it: this game will feature a career high in points scored for Julian Strawther. His previous career high is 22 points, and this is the exact kind of situation for Strawther to break out. The Blazers have lost a few games in a row, and they’re going to dedicate a ton of resources to slowing down Denver’s starting group.
Assuming Christian Braun is out again (he is questionable) then Westbrook likely starts next to Murray. That leaves Strawther as the only guard coming off the bench. He will have every opportunity to score when he enters the game, and if the Nuggets can play a transition game by forcing turnovers and misses on one end, Strawther will benefit on the other.
