Nuggets Journal: Why Denver needs more accountability to succeed this season

If defence leads to offense, a favourite mantra of NBA coaches, connected immoderate level the reverse holds existent arsenic well.

When Michael Porter Jr. drilled an elbow jumper precocious successful the archetypal fractional of Wednesday’s preseason matter against the Thunder, it should’ve granted Denver’s defence clip to set. It’s importantly harder to penetrate a composed defence than 1 that’s scrambling successful transition. In this instance, each 5 Nuggets – starters successful this lawsuit – began their trek backmost connected defence earlier the Thunder had adjacent taken the shot retired of the basket.

And yet arsenic the Thunder plodded up court, Aaron Gordon pointed astatine 1 unaccounted subordinate portion Porter Jr. took work for another. Their wires were crossed and earlier Gordon could recover, Oklahoma City’s Josh Giddey drilled an uncontested 3-pointer from the wing. The lapse, coming erstwhile Denver’s defence had plentifulness of clip to get set, was inexcusable.

Dumbfounded astatine the deficiency of communication, Nuggets manager Michael Malone called timeout to reenforce the point.

After the loss, Nuggets defender Will Barton couched his interest level arsenic non-existent, but helium did concede that the mediocre connection was alarming.

“Us not talking to each different and helping 1 different is unacceptable,” Barton said.

With different crippled connected pat Thursday night, besides against the Thunder, Malone opened that day’s movie league with astir 25 clips. The archetypal 5 – which included the aforementioned breakdown – focused solely connected communication.

Even though determination wasn’t overmuch roster turnover from past season, connection has been a constituent of accent each grooming camp. Between matching up successful modulation oregon conveying coverages successful pick-and-roll, thing irks Malone much than ceding an vantage connected schemes that are controllable. Without Jamal Murray, Denver’s borderline for mistake is adjacent smaller. The defence from past play (11th wide but 23rd successful transition) won’t beryllium bully enough.

It’s not conscionable speaking out, but it’s besides listening and receiving said message. The Nuggets person struggled for years with being excessively quiet, which is what made Thursday’s movie league refreshing.

“I told our players, I cognize what we’re expected to beryllium doing, and I deliberation you guys do,” Malone said. “Now the onus is connected you guys to communicate. Jeff Green is great, that’s what you bring a feline similar Jeff successful for, leadership. He spoke up, and we talked astir conscionable that. He owned a mates plays wherever helium messed up, and helium was telling guys like, ‘I’m (ticked) disconnected that you guys aren’t getting connected me,’ similar talking to his teammates.

“You similar that benignant of honorable conversation, and each you tin bash is amusement it, implore our guys to talk,” Malone said. “We’ve been moving connected modulation defence but if you don’t get matched up, if you don’t point, speech and lucifer past you person nary accidental of being an effectual modulation antiaircraft squad oregon a halfcourt antiaircraft team, for that matter.”

There aren’t galore guys with a earthy inclination to rise their voices and telephone retired their teammates. It’s not needfully successful Nikola Jokic’s nature, and without Jamal Murray, there’s present much work connected Porter to presume that role. If the squad responds to Green, a 15-year NBA veteran, past he’s already been worthy the offseason pick-up.

Malone has nary occupation getting into his players, but if the Nuggets themselves are to instrumentality greater work for their future, it volition begin, similar Green displayed, with much “honest conversation.”