As expected, when the Nuggets and the Suns hit the court, it was intense – with Jokic showing the crowd exactly why he has scooped MVP twice. With a whopping 19,592, the Denver chants were loud and more than spurred the team on. Game 2 ended with the Nuggets 97-87.
With 16 rebounds, five assists, and a game-high of 39 points, of course, it was Jokic – but then what do fans expect now? Since his regression a few years ago, he has become a giant in more ways than one.
With the Denver Nuggets scooping that win, they are now at a 2-0 advantage in the WC semifinals. It’s looking good for the Nuggets, but anything can happen; the odds change quickly, and unexpected wins and losses can happen at any time; you can track the NBA championship odds at DraftKings.
After the game, Jokic said it was a low-scoring game and it was a ‘rough, tough game.’ And even without Murray, the team supported what could be called the backbone of the Nuggets – Jokic. They’re looking strong and are happy to admit that their Game 1 win was pretty, but the next game was messy – however, they will take a win however it looks.
But what are the takeaways that may indicate that the Nuggets are destined for greatness right now?
Defense
When you find something that works, you should stick with it, and that was shown in Game 1. Denver deeply stuck to their challenging defensive plan. With lethal scorers pummeling away, both Durant and Booker pressed hard – ultimately without a payoff, the Nuggets stuck with it, and it worked.
Game 2 was a little bit different, and Ayton was more heavily involved when more defense was going at Durant and Booker – and that was par for the course after Game 1.
Experts say that the Game 1 defensive strategy will be the one to take them to success.
It’s not just their previous game that shows they have the necessary skills in terms of defense. While even the most prominent players can get shut down from time to time, Brown and KCP are equipped for that task. Brown has long been known as a player who relies on his defense to stay on the court, and KCP is an All-Defensive first-team candidate – a dynamite combination.
Resting time
It is not uncommon to see some teams riding their players to exhaustion, and players often do what to give it all they want – but Denver went with something a little bit different. Murray, Gordon, and Caldwell-Pope only logged 18 minutes each, while Jokic played for 20. Something that was mirrored by the Suns, with Booker logging 22, Durant 21, and Paul and Ayton logging 18.
With three days between games and their players having enough time to recoup the time that they are playing, they can give it their all. Malone said he has been lucky enough not to have to push his players to burn through extensive minutes, but he was prepared to do it if it was needed.
Best in the West
Nikola Jokic, anyone? Arguments can be made for both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Emdiid – but really, Jokic is playing in a league of his own and has been for a while. And while having an MVP in your team isn’t enough to guarantee that you’re going to make the finals, it is a decent indicator that the team is going to be tough to beat.
What makes Jokic so formidable, and in some cases downright difficult to deal with, is that his stature combined with his sharp senses when it comes to point guard, ability to shoot and find the hoop, and general all-around ability – there is not much that can get in his way.
With all of that in your pocket, other teams have got more than a small problem keeping this one under control.
R&D
A team is nothing if they aren’t developing talent in the background – because fresh faces are the vitality, energy, and drive that pushes incredible teams forward. The Nuggets have a few players that have yet to hit their prime. Both Micheal Porter Jr and Jamal Murray are just 24 and 26, respectively.
Both bring some spark but have plenty to learn and a lot of court time to get under their belts. Porter, in particular, is interesting as his shooting ability has been said to be on par with some of the best shooters in the league (maybe Steph Curry will have some competition soon).
Right now, the Denver Nuggets look good, and they may be on track to put an end to the title drought. With substantial investment in new, young, and highly skilled players and a coach that is more than ready to run game strategies to push them to victory – the Nuggets might be taking a dip in the winning sauce.
