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Post by BBBbbb on Nov 5, 2024 9:51:53 GMT -5
One thing that Jokic gets from playing "already lost" games is that he's learning his opponent. Whether it's the individual or team plays, he's incredible at reading and adapting.
Just a few players play on that level - LBJ, Draymond and Jokic. I would put CP3 there but his body is not able to follow up on it anymore.
Of course he doesn't need to be run for 40 freaking minutes, keep his minutes at 8 per Q and if we're 10ish down to start Q4, at that point we might think about just keeping him on the bench and put him back only if the reserves give us a fighting chance near the end.
Having said this - unless it's more than -20 to start the Q4, I expect he will be clocking in another 40ish minutes game.
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Post by wizardofcozz on Nov 5, 2024 11:03:31 GMT -5
DEN playing at a pace of 99.2, the highest pace they've played at since 1991 when they played a pace of 113.7 . I definitely think the pace part can be impactful late in games especially home games with the Altitude.
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Post by wizardofcozz on Nov 5, 2024 11:15:55 GMT -5
DEN shooting 29.7 FTA a game up almost 10 from last year, and our % is up. These are things that if we can keep them going will help us win regular season games. Jok up to 7 FTA a game the highest of his career. Now just need to get our 3PTA up by about 5 more a game and we would be much better in the "math" department.
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Post by wizardofcozz on Nov 5, 2024 11:31:19 GMT -5
Player Grades
Jokic - C +
- one of his worst games of the season IMO.
- Missed some def rebounds he should of had.
- complained alot to officials instead of getting back
- Inexplicable TO near end of game on pass to PWat
- Still put up 28/14/13
Russ - A-
- His best game as a Nugget IMO.
- Great on-ball defense, was disruptive defensively all night.
- Still too many fouls on shooters, but loved his effort.
- Finished at the rim better.
- less bone-headed decisions than normal LOL
MPJ - C
- Didn't shoot well
- His closeout defense is still the worst on the team, it is absolutely a huge reason our defense has struggled to start season.
- Had some clutch rebounds late in game though.
- Need more from him for what we're paying him (yes this is a broken record).
AG - n/a
- Did make another 3 before the injury!
Braun - A
- Thought he was our best defender all night
- Was huge defenisvely in clutch time forcing two different TOR turnovers.
- Clutch 3 late, and continues to get to the FT line and finish at the rim.
- 17 pts on 11 shots is highly efficient
PWat - B-
- Considered giving him a C, but he that 3 pointer was huge.
- Scored 17 but could of scored more, missed a dunk, had a couple put backs he didn't even try to score on.
- Defensively was probably his best game, but he still gets ridiculously lost off ball, and his communication on switches leaves much to be desired.
- His on-ball D was much better this game, and his defensively ceiling is obviously much higher then say MPJ who we hope just goes from abysmal to atrocious.
- Most encouraging game of his this season.
Strawther - C+
- Got in foul trouble again.
- Thought this was his worst game defensively overall
- His late game defense though was solid, and he was more locked in.
- Huge drive and finish in 4th quarter
- Continues to shoot the 3 efficiently.
Tyson - C
- Still can't find his outside shot
- Good effort defensively and on the boards
- a couple of closeouts he struggled to keep his man in front, though not nearly as bad as MPJ! LOL
- Needs to provide more offensively in his minutes IMO.
Nnaji - C
- Good game for him
- Defense was very good
- missed a dunk you can't miss
- good finish on dunk on pass by Straw.
- Probably deserves more minutes in next few games.
DJ - C-
- considered giving him a D
- His offense was putrid
- couldn't catch a pass
- rating saved by some big blocks on defensive end.
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Post by wizardofcozz on Nov 5, 2024 12:29:27 GMT -5
Last thing. Currently Braun averaging 14.7 ppg on 54/45/81 while Strawther averaging 9.4 ppg on 47/58/73. Braun averaging more then KCP last year and Straw more than Braun last year. Our SG spot has been one of our best positions this season.
Russ currently putting up 10/3.7/4.7 on 28/21/71 obviously his shooting stats are horrendous. I actually think he'll revert at least to his mean, and if we can get him more minutes with Jok in blended bench time, I think he could slightly improve his efficiency from last few years. He SHOULD outproduce RJ in almost everything he does, so we shall see. But last night was encouraging, and hopefully Malone gets more comfortable blending different groups together.
PWat is slightly down, but he also missed the preseason. If he can go from 6.7 ppg last year to say 8 ppg on slightly higher efficiency I will take that, and I think it would be a reasonable improvement.
All that to say that our issues while problematic aren't insurmountable. Truly think that We'll get better production from SG this year then last, and from backup PG this year from last. I believe our season will come down to 3 things ultimately.
1.) Can MPJ play any defense - No one on the team gets blown by more then MPJ, and not just blown by, but blown by cleanly, like he is stuck in quicksand. Some of our other guys have struggled defensively but the initial struggle comes out of MPJ first and then we're playing catch up defensively in possessions as guys then have to overhelp and then try to recover which is extremely difficult.
2.) Can Murray comeback to even an avg. NBA PG. I honestly don't think he has to go supernova for us to win, I think their are more offensive weapons possible this year then in years past, especially just the versatility of the offense. We will need Murray to give us 22 ppg in playoffs on 46/38/80 efficiency though to be able to compete. Secondly, if MPJ defense is the worst, I'm not sure Murray isn't far behind. He was a problem on both sides of the ball when he was playing he has to get himself back to at least avg in both categories.
3.) AG continues his strong play. IF the AG we saw before the calf strain is here to stay, and he can bring that in the playoffs we will be a tough out. We could theoretically play 4 above avg shooters around Jokic which I think will be a huge positive, then you'd also have Strawther off the bench. Having Braun, Straw, and AG making 3's gives us a lot more shooting then we maybe were counting on going into the season.
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Post by snakemonkey on Nov 5, 2024 13:00:54 GMT -5
Deandre undoubtedly has a presence out there that makes the bench somewhat respectable compared to Saric or Nnaji at 5.
He makes a lot of sloppy mistakes but wonder if mistakes would go down if he played a bit more.
I do not see Saric playable in any playoff matchups where as DJ Nnaji Cancar all could be useful.
Continue to be baffled they gave Saric 2/10, gotta move him
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Post by LotharBraunBrownBryant on Nov 5, 2024 13:03:49 GMT -5
No one on the team gets blown by more then MPJ, and not just blown by, but blown by cleanly, like he is stuck in quicksand I wonder if he added a little too much weight this summer. Being stronger is good, but he was already a bit slow as a wing player, and losing quickness and initial burst might have made him too heavy on his feet. Might need to drop a few pounds and rebuild some agility. |
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Post by snakemonkey on Nov 5, 2024 13:04:09 GMT -5
Last thing. Currently Braun averaging 14.7 ppg on 54/45/81 while Strawther averaging 9.4 ppg on 47/58/73. Braun averaging more then KCP last year and Straw more than Braun last year. Our SG spot has been one of our best positions this season. Russ currently putting up 10/3.7/4.7 on 28/21/71 obviously his shooting stats are horrendous. I actually think he'll revert at least to his mean, and if we can get him more minutes with Jok in blended bench time, I think he could slightly improve his efficiency from last few years. He SHOULD outproduce RJ in almost everything he does, so we shall see. But last night was encouraging, and hopefully Malone gets more comfortable blending different groups together. PWat is slightly down, but he also missed the preseason. If he can go from 6.7 ppg last year to say 8 ppg on slightly higher efficiency I will take that, and I think it would be a reasonable improvement. All that to say that our issues while problematic aren't insurmountable. Truly think that We'll get better production from SG this year then last, and from backup PG this year from last. I believe our season will come down to 3 things ultimately. 1.) Can MPJ play any defense - No one on the team gets blown by more then MPJ, and not just blown by, but blown by cleanly, like he is stuck in quicksand. Some of our other guys have struggled defensively but the initial struggle comes out of MPJ first and then we're playing catch up defensively in possessions as guys then have to overhelp and then try to recover which is extremely difficult. 2.) Can Murray comeback to even an avg. NBA PG. I honestly don't think he has to go supernova for us to win, I think their are more offensive weapons possible this year then in years past, especially just the versatility of the offense. We will need Murray to give us 22 ppg in playoffs on 46/38/80 efficiency though to be able to compete. Secondly, if MPJ defense is the worst, I'm not sure Murray isn't far behind. He was a problem on both sides of the ball when he was playing he has to get himself back to at least avg in both categories. 3.) AG continues his strong play. IF the AG we saw before the calf strain is here to stay, and he can bring that in the playoffs we will be a tough out. We could theoretically play 4 above avg shooters around Jokic which I think will be a huge positive, then you'd also have Strawther off the bench. Having Braun, Straw, and AG making 3's gives us a lot more shooting then we maybe were counting on going into the season. Somewhat ideal to have Jamal out with a non leg injury and Russ Braun Strawther Watson being forced into bigger roles to start year. If Jamal misses 3 more games he can rest til November 15th which would be a nice ease into season for him as I was worried about him after olympics. |
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Post by snakemonkey on Nov 5, 2024 13:10:16 GMT -5
No one on the team gets blown by more then MPJ, and not just blown by, but blown by cleanly, like he is stuck in quicksand I wonder if he added a little too much weight this summer. Being stronger is good, but he was already a bit slow as a wing player, and losing quickness and initial burst might have made him too heavy on his feet. Might need to drop a few pounds and rebuild some agility. He's definitely looking like a PF more and more, in many playoff matchups MPJ AG Jokic would eat just about all of the PF C minutes. Jokic MPJ front court with 3 defenders should be an elite lineup too. But Denver keeps making adds to front court when it's already the strength of the team. |
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Post by wizardofcozz on Nov 5, 2024 13:10:31 GMT -5
No one on the team gets blown by more then MPJ, and not just blown by, but blown by cleanly, like he is stuck in quicksand I wonder if he added a little too much weight this summer. Being stronger is good, but he was already a bit slow as a wing player, and losing quickness and initial burst might have made him too heavy on his feet. Might need to drop a few pounds and rebuild some agility. On film it's a lot of he closes out, and he struggles to then get his hips turned in time to react to the ball handler driving by him, which then just puts pressure on rest of team. It could definitely be a lost a step quickness wise from the added bulk. |
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Post by wizardofcozz on Nov 5, 2024 13:11:59 GMT -5
I wonder if he added a little too much weight this summer. Being stronger is good, but he was already a bit slow as a wing player, and losing quickness and initial burst might have made him too heavy on his feet. Might need to drop a few pounds and rebuild some agility. He's definitely looking like a PF more and more, in many playoff matchups MPJ AG Jokic would eat just about all of the PF C minutes. Jokic MPJ front court with 3 defenders should be an elite lineup too. But Denver keeps making adds to front court when it's already the strength of the team. I don't disagree with that, and would slide PWat to a more natural SF position. |
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Post by LotharBraunBrownBryant on Nov 5, 2024 13:45:18 GMT -5
I wonder if he added a little too much weight this summer. Being stronger is good, but he was already a bit slow as a wing player, and losing quickness and initial burst might have made him too heavy on his feet. Might need to drop a few pounds and rebuild some agility. On film it's a lot of he closes out, and he struggles to then get his hips turned in time to react to the ball handler driving by him, which then just puts pressure on rest of team. It could definitely be a lost a step quickness wise from the added bulk. Yeah, I could see added upper-body bulk making him slower to move his hips while staying balanced. |
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Post by nuggetshipster on Nov 5, 2024 14:31:22 GMT -5
Bench Jokic for the OKC game to get him some rest. Nuggets have a 0.0% chance at even competing in that game. Jokic will never run from the smoke. he's not Embiid. Or Murray |
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Post by wizardofcozz on Nov 5, 2024 15:36:54 GMT -5
@shamscharania
Injury blow to Denver: Nuggets F Aaron Gordon will miss multiple weeks due to a right calf strain, sources tell ESPN.
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Post by famicommander on Nov 5, 2024 15:37:53 GMT -5
Ouch. Hopefully Vlatko's ankle heals up quickly and Jamal gets the green light soon.
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Post by wizardofcozz on Nov 5, 2024 15:41:07 GMT -5
Ouch. Hopefully Vlatko's ankle heals up quickly and Jamal gets the green light soon. When Jamal comes back who do you go with in starting lineup? Jamal Straw Braun MPJ Jok Jamal Braun PWat MPJ Jok Jamal Russ Braun MPJ Jok |
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Post by famicommander on Nov 5, 2024 15:45:21 GMT -5
Ouch. Hopefully Vlatko's ankle heals up quickly and Jamal gets the green light soon. When Jamal comes back who do you go with in starting lineup? Jamal Straw Braun MPJ Jok Jamal Braun PWat MPJ Jok Jamal Russ Braun MPJ Jok Knowing Malone he'll go with a 3 guard set but I'd run Jamal and CB with MPJ at the 4 and Watson at the 3 until Gordon comes back. Vlatko is your first forward off the bench, with Zeke getting first crack at the 2C minutes. And I'm not looking forward to it, but at some point you have to circle back to Saric and try to salvage something. |
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Post by Ring on Nov 5, 2024 16:44:46 GMT -5
@shamscharania Injury blow to Denver: Nuggets F Aaron Gordon will miss multiple weeks due to a right calf strain, sources tell ESPN. Time for Peyton to sink or swim. Huge month for him and the team. The Nuggets absolutely have to stay afloat during this stretch. Need Murray back ASAP. |
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Post by GBG on Nov 5, 2024 17:01:04 GMT -5
@shamscharania Injury blow to Denver: Nuggets F Aaron Gordon will miss multiple weeks due to a right calf strain, sources tell ESPN. Time for Peyton to sink or swim. Huge month for him and the team. The Nuggets absolutely have to stay afloat during this stretch. Need Murray back ASAP. This is gonna be a 45-49 win season at best for the Nuggets. A real step back for our RS record for the first time in the Malone/Jokic era. The demands on our core four playing time will cause nagging injuries and fatigue. Already, Murray missed time to concussion, and now this calf issue for AG. No way we win 50+ or have seeding higher than 4th. I’d even say 6-seed will be in play, but will stick to my bold prediction of 5-seed. |
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Post by snakemonkey on Nov 5, 2024 17:30:49 GMT -5
@shamscharania Injury blow to Denver: Nuggets F Aaron Gordon will miss multiple weeks due to a right calf strain, sources tell ESPN. Time for Peyton to sink or swim. Huge month for him and the team. The Nuggets absolutely have to stay afloat during this stretch. Need Murray back ASAP. Losing AG isn't ideal but it's early in yesr at least and it's the position they have most depth at. MPJ and Jokic now get chance to play together as 4/5 And they have Watson, Cancar, Nnaji who can all play some PF Going to be a lot of minutes for depth guys til Christmas |
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