Written By Jonathan Peter on December 28th, 2021.
The Denver Nuggets are headed into a two-game miniseries against the Golden State Warriors. Both teams will host each other once on their home courts. The first battle is on Tuesday in San Francisco at the Chase Center, and the second is in Denver at Ball Arena.
After two horrendous loses the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Charlotte Hornets, the Nuggets were able to scrap past the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday Night. Despite the lackluster play, the Nuggets find themselves 5th(!) in the Western Conference at 16-16. Two wins against the Warriors, who currently hold the best record in the NBA, could provide the morale boost this team needs. Also, Denver could gain some separation in the standings amongst the teams below them in the conference.
Winning two games consecutively against Golden State sounds challenging, but it’s very much possible for Denver. The Warriors will be without some of their key guys Draymond Green and Jordan Poole due to health and safety protocols, which is huge for Denver. Currently, the Warriors are top-5 in the association in field goal percentage (47.2%), three-point percentage (36.7%), rebounds (46.4 per game), and assists (28.1 per game). Expect the rebound and assist numbers to be slightly below their average because Green leads the Warriors in both categories. It’s likely that Steph Curry will be manufacturing more of his own shots over these two games due to a lack of playmakers because of injuries.
Denver can win these games by playing top notch defense. According to the hustle stats on NBA.com, the Nuggets are below league average in contested 2-point shots (28.6) and 3-point shots (19.3). Denver needs to play above their norm and contest every shot the Warriors put up. Since both teams are shorthanded, the level of effort each team puts forth is going to be critical in determining who will win these matchups. Let’s hope the Nuggets are ready to play in both games.
Turnovers are an area the Nuggets can exploit the Warriors in. Golden State averages 16 turnovers per game, second highest in the NBA, and the Nuggets will need to make them pay. With the Warriors having a flood of new players due to COVID, the Nuggets better ready to take advantage of their miscues. Transition offense is an area where Denver have struggled all year. They will need to tighten up and make the Warriors pay for their mistakes.
All eyes will be on the matchup of the superstars, Nikola Jokic and Stephen Curry. Both MVP candidates have been having stellar seasons and it will be exciting to watch them go head-to-head. Expect the Warriors to defend similar to how the LA Clippers and Charlotte Hornets did. If the Nuggets try to do a pick and roll, the Warriors will most likely switch and with a lengthy defender who denies the pass to Joker. They will also collapse on him in the paint with multiple defenders, making it difficult for him to pass out, but also daring Denver’s wings and guards to shoot. Denver is going to need big time shot making from all of their perimeter players.
It should be a fun couple of games. I am optimistic the Nuggets can end the calendar year off strong.
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