Watching that 8th Playoff Spot had Denver Nuggets fans excited every time Portland stumbled but now Sacramento is the team we are watching.
The Denver Nuggets’ National Media Power Rankings average now sits at 21. However, they’re only one game out of the final playoff spot, currently held by DeMarcus Cousins and the Sacramento Kings. Last night’s game against a very shorthanded Clippers allowed to the Nuggets to get a close win on the road. Hopefully, this is something to build on going forward and will lead to Nuggets moving up the playoff ladder and the national media power rankings.
The loss to the Hawks on December 23, 2016, was another in a long line of disappointing losses. Somehow this loss seemed to hurt a bit more seeing how well they played most of the night. The rotations were questionable down the stretch. Danilo Gallinari was left on the bench in the last minutes when he had led the team in scoring. Many are ready for the day when we refuse to think about our inability to close out games as being a factor of a young and inexperienced team but rather the result of poor decisions.
The remaining games this week are at home. Philadelphia and Minnesota are full of talent but are also young and struggling. These are two games the Denver Nuggets must have to make a move towards securing a playoff spot. The rotations will also be interesting over these two games.
The Jusuf Nurkic vs Nikola Jokic debate seems to have legs across Nugg Love and other fan message boards. Below is my opinion on this debate and why Jokic should be the starter.
I prefer Jokic over Nurkic as a starter. Jokic is the better athlete and passer. In watching the early season games the ball seemed to settle to Nurkic and there were not many effective cuts by guys to the basket when the ball was in his hands. This could have been a function of operating without Gary Harris as much as Nurkic’s offensives skills. Make no mistake about Jokic gives us the better chance to get a W night in and night out. To be honest, I was confused when the two big men experiment was abandoned. Abandoned, with Nurkic keeping the starter’s position.
But to see Nurkic not even get a sniff of the scorer’s table is concerning. Just his six fouls have to be worth something to Coach Malone. Big men and their fouls have to be utilized especially if we get into some type of low post battle. This low post battle could be key in stopping the young talent of Karl Anthony-Towns and Joel Embiid in these next two games.
If Nurkic still does not get to walk towards the scorer’s table during these two games a trade has to happen. Sooner rather than later. It can’t be a good locker room situation to have Nurkic angry. Angry about minutes and a waste of his talent or fouls.
We have to have these two games and if Malone has to use Nurkic to get these wins that is exactly what needs to be done. Let us hope that this week’s results will make that Sacramento game on January 3, 2017, a very important date in the Denver Nuggets’ season.
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