Edit: weigh-in *
I’ve been a Denver Nuggets fan for a fairly long time. Mutombo, Earl Boykins, Carmelo Anthony draft, my Dad and I listening on the radio to George Karl post-game on 36 driving back from the Pepsi Center (we always laughed at how hard he breathed into the mic on those interviews), the 2013 Nuggets run (Iggy), the New York Knicks trade (Gallo!), and now the Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray era etc.
Earlier this season (I think it was like December) Peyton Watson went down with injury. At that point, Jokic, Braun, Val, Cam, Gordon, Spencer, and now Watson had all gone down with injuries that were gonna keep them out for at least a month +
At that moment, I made the comment in one of these threads that I was feeling kind of numbed to injuries at that point. We had seen so many this season, while also trying to integrate new players like Cam Johnson, THJ, Bruce Brown (again), Val, and others. Oh, and trying to add a whole new head coach by the way.
My fear was our team just never had the time to have chemistry together. To learn how to play real offense and real defense. To know what our bench actually was. To really practice our weaknesses. You get the idea.
I think deep down we all hoped that the last like 10 to 15 games of the season was somehow going to fix all of this. With tape and glue. We had most of our team back, healthy, for the first time since, I don’t know, November?
But the reality is this team hasn’t really had that much time together. Our core guys like Jokić, Murray and Gordon yeah, but most of the team hasn’t played together. I think that’s ultimately what is happening on our TV sets each night when we watch these Nuggets in the playoffs. We sort of hope they’re gonna magically figure it all out the way we know they can, but we also know that they really haven’t had enough time together so we just get upset.
Chemistry matters even more on defense. I’ve played a lot of competitive team sports, defense is usually the thing you don’t wanna do as much. You usually need a vocal leader and to be aligned as one cohesive defense unit. The Nuggets really haven’t been that all season, we shouldn’t be surprised we’re not seeing in the playoffs. Especially with all these injuries.
Honestly, I’d cut the team some slack. The injuries during the season have been devastating and we’re seeing it play out right now in real-time in these playoffs. Maybe that’s OK.
Even if we win this series against the Timberwolves, it’s going to be a gauntlet against the Spurs and then the Thunder and then the Celtics(?). Let’s stop pretending like our team was just gonna run everybody over, and start being a little more balanced and pragmatic.
I’m thankful for this team. Super excited for the next game, and just thankful we have good nuggets basketball. Let’s get after it.