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Post by nuggetshipster on May 8, 2023 8:35:31 GMT -5
Nuggets lost a game in which they had a 132 offensive rating. Just absolutely amazing. Sucks that this series isn't the WCF. Games 3 and 4 were absolute classics. I had the Suns in 6 coming into the series and I really hope I'm wrong but I have a really bad feeling about Game 5. The Suns have made the proper adjustments and the Nuggets don't really have any adjustments they can make in terms of their rotation. Sure, you can play Watson, Vlatko or Zeke over Jeff but how big of a difference is that really going to make? Jokic is probably just going to have to suck it up and play 45 minutes per game. Nuggets can't survive the minutes without him in this series because Murray can't carry a bench unit and the Nuggets just don't have any other reliable scorer besides MPJ who doesn't stagger with the bench. this is the finals |
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Post by Ring on May 8, 2023 8:44:27 GMT -5
Every single Nugget shot 50% or better yesterday except MPJ. We're fucked.
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Post by nuggetshipster on May 8, 2023 9:01:51 GMT -5
Every game lives its own life. Hopefully we manage to slow down the pace. Considering that is the kind of team Calvin wanted to make.
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Post by Ring on May 8, 2023 9:13:41 GMT -5
Every game lives its own life. Hopefully we manage to slow down the pace. Considering that is the kind of team Calvin wanted to make. I think that would help but it's really hard to do. The Nuggets offensively do play at a slow pace. The problem is that they try to force things in transition and aren't good at it. That either leads to turnovers or missed shots which allows the Suns to run in transition and force Denver to get back and scramble. Bottom line is the Nuggets are not capable of winning this series if Booker is going to shoot 20-25 and 14-18 from the field. |
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Post by Deleted on May 8, 2023 9:17:21 GMT -5
Every game lives its own life. Hopefully we manage to slow down the pace. Considering that is the kind of team Calvin wanted to make. Bottom line is the Nuggets are not capable of winning this series if Booker is going to shoot 20-25 and 14-18 from the field. Both of them were home games for the Suns. I would be very surprised if Booker shoots that well in game 5 (and if there happens to be a game 7) Role players like KCP, Jamal (lol), MPJ (lol) play better at home ...as was the case with Suns role players (Shamet, Landale) |
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Post by Deleted on May 8, 2023 9:18:45 GMT -5
He doesnt. Hope we don't lose David Adelman to Toronto or another team If I were Josh, I'd promise Adelman the job right now and especially if Malone doesn't change his gameplan after two losses in Phoenix. I read somewhere Adelman is supposed to interview with Toronto sometime this week ...hope we dont lose him |
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Post by eathb on May 8, 2023 9:27:41 GMT -5
Based MPJ
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Post by JB on May 8, 2023 9:51:44 GMT -5
give Malone an extension.
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Post by Ring on May 8, 2023 10:27:15 GMT -5
Not an Ishbia fan by any means, but I do think it's important that he said this publicly.
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Post by JB on May 8, 2023 10:33:53 GMT -5
he either realized getting our franchise player suspended for the most pivotal game of the series would make him a pariah owner or Silver reached out to him beforehand and he's using this opportunity to virtue signal. most likely the latter.
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Post by Deleted on May 8, 2023 10:47:42 GMT -5
Jeff Green shouldn't get any minutes the rest of this series and playoffs ...if Malones makes the proper adjustments for game 5
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Post by Ring on May 8, 2023 10:49:24 GMT -5
Jeff Green shouldn't get any minutes the rest of this series and playoffs ...if Malones makes the proper adjustments for game 5 There aren't many adjustments that can be made. That's the problem. The only real adjustment Denver can make is just playing 1 on 1 defense and living with the consequences. They've tried basically everything defensively. There is no answer for an offense with 2 of the best scorers in all of the NBA. You just have to make them earn all of their baskets. |
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Post by Coach Sticky on May 8, 2023 10:57:40 GMT -5
Jeff Green shouldn't get any minutes the rest of this series and playoffs ...if Malones makes the proper adjustments for game 5 There aren't many adjustments that can be made. That's the problem. The only real adjustment Denver can make is just playing 1 on 1 defense and living with the consequences. They've tried basically everything defensively. There is no answer for an offense with 2 of the best scorers in all of the NBA. You just have to make them earn all of their baskets. We could honestly show them a zone defense. |
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Post by member x on May 8, 2023 11:18:29 GMT -5
Jeff Green shouldn't get any minutes the rest of this series and playoffs ...if Malones makes the proper adjustments for game 5 There aren't many adjustments that can be made. That's the problem. The only real adjustment Denver can make is just playing 1 on 1 defense and living with the consequences. They've tried basically everything defensively. There is no answer for an offense with 2 of the best scorers in all of the NBA. You just have to make them earn all of their baskets. Long time lurker on this board... - The Suns have been good at closing out quarters. I would give Watson some end of quarter duties on Booker to completely deny him the ball. See how that goes and potentially dip into it later. - They won't stop Booker but they can make him work. Play full court D on him and rotate KCP, Brown and maybe Watson on him just to harass him. - Whoever Booker is guarding needs to be running pick and roll with Joker or AG. They need to physically abuse him. - If they try Watson and it goes well, I would consider him in spurts on Booker. His length and close-out may cause enough of an issue. - Jeff Green has two rebounds in the past two games. In the two wins he has 5 and 4. This is a game to consider a change here. Either move to Zeke, Cancar, Watson or give DAJ some time to be physical. Zeke is better defending the perimeter. Cancar was in the rotation when the Nuggs had their best mid-season run. Peyton is a rookie, but his D looked brilliant when he got to play. Offense: - Have AG, KCP or Brown bring the ball up more. They are putting pressure on Murray causing him to go deep into the clock and force a play. Murray also needs to get rid of the ball sooner and have better awareness around this. - DAJ may be an option in the non-Joker minutes to set some good screens for Murray. Especially if the Suns keep going to Landale. |
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Post by scooter on May 8, 2023 11:28:15 GMT -5
Also feels like we're living in bizarro world where MPJ has been pretty good defensively all series long, isn't really targeted and now it's switched to Murray being targeted all series long and KCP getting cooked to a burnt crisp by Booker. Nuggets are really missing a shooter off the bench. Just can't score enough to win those minutes. Feels like Malone has to start using Murray/MPJ together in the non-Jokic minutes. I think that might be an adjustment to lower Jeffs minutes. I just feel like Malone has too much trust in Jeff. Fans always want to think there is an “adjustment” to be made when its more often going to come down to “make or miss.” Its convenient to fixate on the Jeff Green minutes and his +/-, but here’s a newsflash to those who argue that something else “couldn’t be worse” — you are wrong. It can definitely be worse than scoring 16 points more than the Suns thru 4 games. In the playoffs, Green has sometimes been defending centers and sometimes defending Kevin Durant and who on the bench is going to do that combination of things better? If the Nuggets use Watson instead of Green, then in non-Jokic minutes you have to put Gordon on their center and he’s been in foul trouble from defending Durant, so that doesn’t seem like a good plan to me. Zeke hasn’t shown he can play at the level of this series. You could try Jordan but he’d have to play drop coverage which would leave either Durant or Booker open on pick and roll actions. I thought all along the team was very top heavy, with a bench aside from Brown made up of has beens, never wases, and rookies. It may be worth considering trying a few minutes of Watson for the purpose of full court pressure on the ball, but he can’t replace Green. The starters have been really good, but they need more than 2 for 9 on threes from Porter. If he can’t do a lot more than be a spot up shooter, and unfortunately at this level I think that’s mostly his role, its going to be trouble if he can’t be better at his strength than that. For those complaining endlessly about Murray having the ball too much, I have three words of caution: Live Ball Turnovers. The Nuggets are among the worst teams in the league at fast break defense and must limit turnovers to give themselves a chance to win games against a team of the Suns’ quality. Murray has done that, with only 8 turnovers (vs. 29 assists) in the 4 games. So lest you pine endlessly for more ball movement, be careful what you wish for, because more passes likely equals more turnovers and the Nuggets can’t win this if they turn the ball over more. |
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Post by blackhill on May 8, 2023 11:42:11 GMT -5
If you are going to play Green, maybe just start him in place of MPJ and see what AG can do, if anything, on Booker. If AG fails, see if Watson can bother him. I would also not mind a little 5 out lineups with MPJ at center. Pair MPJ with Brown Brothers, Watson and Zeke/Cancar and set screens for MPJ at the top of the key and see what happens when Suns have to go away from their drop coverage.
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Post by freakns on May 8, 2023 11:47:19 GMT -5
Jeff Green shouldn't get any minutes the rest of this series and playoffs ...if Malones makes the proper adjustments for game 5 There aren't many adjustments that can be made. That's the problem. The only real adjustment Denver can make is just playing 1 on 1 defense and living with the consequences. They've tried basically everything defensively. There is no answer for an offense with 2 of the best scorers in all of the NBA. You just have to make them earn all of their baskets. there are 2 big things Nuggets can do. 1- guard Booker aggressively since he gets the ball. basically have KCP and BB doing to Booker what NAW did to Murray. that will not stop Booker, but will get him at least tired in 4th. I hope. it will tire KCP/BB also, but thats something I'm ready to live with. 2- have DAJ in non-Jokic minutes. this is huge gamble, cause blueprint of non Jokic lineup is switch everything, however, its clear defense isn't working. so at least have someone crashing the glass and stopping freaking Landale. also, Jamal wasn't good, but he is not the problem. Nuggets were outscored by 10 last night in 6 minutes Jamal didn't play. 6 minutes, -10. Suns were also +5 in 4 minutes without KD and +6 in 7 and half minutes without Booker. Despite insane shooting from Booker, despite KD finding his stride, despite Shamet going berserk in 4th, these 2 games are lost here: 5 minutes without Jokic last night, -8 2 minutes without Jokic in gm3, -10 Nuggets can sustain everything Booker and KD are doing. They can control Landale, they can outscore Suns even when Shamet is going crazy, as long as they have Jamal and Jokic on the floor. Its a question of surviving those minutes when they don't play. You need to be freaking able to rotate and close 4 minutes per half and lose those minutes by 5 instead of 10 |
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Post by Ring on May 8, 2023 11:50:35 GMT -5
Can't play DAJ. He'll get killed in drop. Don't even think that's worth trying.
Regarding pressuring Booker up the floor, I don't think it's a bad idea to wear him out and it is very weird that it hasn't been tried yet. Booker is already getting past those guys with ease. Not sure why it hasn't been implemented.
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Post by wizardofcozz on May 8, 2023 11:53:07 GMT -5
Jeff Green shouldn't get any minutes the rest of this series and playoffs ...if Malones makes the proper adjustments for game 5 There aren't many adjustments that can be made. That's the problem. The only real adjustment Denver can make is just playing 1 on 1 defense and living with the consequences. They've tried basically everything defensively. There is no answer for an offense with 2 of the best scorers in all of the NBA. You just have to make them earn all of their baskets. The nuggets have to be smarter on when they double and who they leave open. We can absolutely double and leave Craig, Okogie, and Payne open. We should encourage them to take as many 3's as possible. But if the Suns role a lineup that doesn't have any of those three in the lineup. We gotta play it staight up and live with the consequences. If we remove the technical FT, and Porter and KCP make there two threes taht were wide freaking open we win the game, so it's not like everything is on a hair's difference between winning and losing. Phoenix is playing out of their mind and still not blowing us out. Just need Booker to be closer to 60% instead of 80% and honestly lets have him go off and hold everyone else. That may be best strategy cause Booker doesn't take alot of 3's. |
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Post by freakns on May 8, 2023 11:53:35 GMT -5
one more thing.
game 2: 7-27 for 3
game 3: 10-30 for 3
game 4: 7-22 for 3
game 1: 16-37 for 3
during regular season, per game: 11.8 - 31.2 3 points
so one time Nuggets score 12 3s or more, they had easy win. so Nuggets simply need to shoot more then 30 three pointers and score on 35% or more.
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