The Nuggets’ performances against the El Segundo Lakers and Washington Generals were that bad.
Washington forward Kyshawn George goes up for a shot as Denver forward Michael Porter Jr. defends in the first half on Saturday at Ball Arena. . And right now it looks like they have canceled their dance class membership and shoved the guitar back into the closest.
It is rare after a team splits a weekend series to say it was the low point of the season, but the performances against thewere that bad. From nobodies to never-weres, the Nuggets don’t discriminate. They give up points to everyone. This, some insist, is an overreaction. It was back-to-back games. They were tired. They can still secure the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. But after watching them scramble to beat the Lakers and get swept by the Wizards, the question must be asked: Are the Nuggets cooked as championship contenders?broke my brain. But he didn’t entirely crush my spirit, either. Of the last seven NBA champs, five finished the regular season ranked among the top 10 in defensive efficiency. The only two that didn’t pass that smell test? Golden State in 2018, and … your Nuggets in ’23. If you’re looking for a ray of hope, it’s this: Team defense is even less of an accurate predictor when it comes to reaching, or even winning, the Western Conference Finals. Of the previous 14 teams to make the WCF, only seven brought a top-10 defense to the party. And of those seven WCF winners, only three did so with defenses that ranked among the top 10. Championship contenders? That seat might be a little too hot. WCF contenders? Ain’t closing that door. Yet.The metrics reveal the story. The Nuggets are atrocious defensively in the first quarter, then tighten up as the game proceeds believing they can outscore anyone and win in the clutch. It is a flawed strategy when looking at the upcoming playoffs. They know it. Coach Michael Malone has pleaded with this team to play harder, and the results don’t change. The pieces don’t fit, and the effort is questionable. Christian Braun, his shot a pleasant surprise, is not as good defensively as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.and Michael Porter Jr. have gotten worse. And Aaron Gordon has been hurt. Say it out loud and it sounds like a team that will be lucky to avoid another second-round exit.You can’t keep shedding good veteran defenders — KCP and Bruce Brown, in particular — and not feel the pain. And it hurt even more to hear Jokic admit as much after the game on Saturday night: “We don’t have the confidence,” the Joker noted, “that we can defend.” Yikes.The Nuggets know what they have to do. But either they won’t or can’t. And that is an indictment of the current roster, of Malone getting tuned out and general manager Calvin Booth making bad offseason moves that left him sitting on his hands at the trade deadline. It is impossible to defend the Nuggets’ postseason chances when they refuse to defend themselves.Sports Columnists |game. And you’d have a hard time convincing me he wouldn’t have made a difference covering 6-foot-8 Kyshawn George or 7-footer Alex Sarr . To paraphrase the late, great Yogi Berra, defense is 90% mental — the other half is physical. If the Nuggets can’t get out of their own heads, they sure as heck won’t be able to get inside other teams’ noggins come crunch time. As ICE claims it's ramped up immigration enforcement, the number of Colorado arrests, deportations is still unclearRussell Westbrook inspired him to quit his day job, pursue his NBA passion — which led him from South Korea to Ball Arena Russell Westbrook inspired him to quit his day job, pursue his NBA passion -- which led him from South Korea to Ball ArenaNCAA Tournament men's basketball matchups in Denver are setCSU Rams to face Memphis in first round of NCAA Tournament in Seattle Trump administration threatens to rescind $32 million promised to Denver by FEMA for migrant shelter costs
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