The Nuggets Extend Their Win Streak To 9 Games!

Denver has a lot going for it, but their Achilles heel is still its defense. The Blazers lit up the Nuggets right from the jump, hitting 10 three pointers in the first quarter. They finished the game with a franchise record of 25.

Denver has allowed 121.5 points per game in their last 10 games. That would be ranked in the bottom five if that were season-long. They are winning despite their struggles on the end of the court.

The Nuggets hold the worst scoring defense for a team that has clinched a playoff spot. They currently sit at 20th in the league, allowing 117.0 ppg. The Cleveland Cavaliers are the next-worst playoff-clinched team in that category with 115.3 and are ranked 16th.

It has not mattered, though, because the Nuggets have the best offense in the league, averaging 121.8 points per game. If they want to win a championship, though, their defense is going to have to improve sooner rather than later. The good news is that it just needs to be average.

The MVP Fatigue Is Real

The MVP race the last couple of weeks has been between Luka Doncic, Victor Wembanyama, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Someone who’s been fading in that conversation is Nikola Jokic. The reason is certainly not due to his play on the court.

The Joker is averaging 28 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists. His Player Efficiency Rating(PER) is currently at 32.3. That would be ranked second all-time in NBA history. He’s also on pace to be the first player ever to lead the league in rebounds and assists.

Guess who number one is. Yes, it is Jokic himself with 32.9 in the 2021-2022 season. His eye-popping numbers night after night have gotten lost among fans, the media, and even oddsmakers.

According to BetMGM, Jokic is ranked third in MVP odds. SGA is at first with -5000, Wemby sits at second with +2000, and Joker is at +6600. It’s baffling how far back he is given his historic numbers.

There’s no doubt that Gilgeous-Alexander is the deserving favorite, but it took a Doncic injury to get Jokic on third for people’s ballots. I’m not even sure Wembanyama has a better case at this very moment.

The Clutch Gene Is Back

Denver had a real issue in the final moments of the game. They were 1-6 in clutch games in February. It was a month riddled with inconsistency and injury.

All of a sudden, March hit, and things began to click again. From the beginning of March to April 7th, the Nuggets had a clutch record of 8-3. That raised their season-long clutch record to 22-19.

The team’s execution in these last two games has been flawless. Denver’s win over the San Antonio Spurs was due to their clutch play. Jokic was sensational in overtime and put the game on ice.

In this most recent game, Denver was down 14 points to enter the fourth quarter and forced overtime once again. They won by five points over time. The offense looks smooth, and David Adelman deserves a lot of credit for his After Time Out (ATO) play designs.

This was what the team was missing early in the season.

End Of My Denver Nuggets Rant

Denver is peaking at the right time. It is currently holders of the third seed. The Los Angeles Lakers are in free fall at the moment, so the three spot is the Nuggets to lose.

The defense is still a bit concerning, but the offense has never been better, and Jokic is by far the best player in the game. No one in the Western Conference wants to see this Denver team in a playoff series.

Never count out the Nuggets!