The Denver Nuggets blew out the Phoenix Suns 125-107 in the series opener of this Western Conference Semifinals matchup. The contest highlighted several issues for the team, and ahead of Game 2, the Suns need to make some adjustments.
5 Adjustments the Suns Need to Make Against the Nuggets
1. Suns Must Contain Jamal Murray
Jamal Murray put on a shooting clinic, scoring a game-high 34 points on an efficient 54.2%. After missing the last two postseason runs due to injuries, the guard’s ability to relieve some of the scoring load from Nikola Jokic is having a significant impact.
Of course, the Suns should also focus on containing Jokic, Aaron Gordon, and Michael Porter Jr., but they had no answer for Murray. At halftime, Denver was ahead by 17 points, which Phoenix began to chip away at in the fourth. Their run was foiled when Murray proceeded to go on an 8-0 run to build the lead back up. His mid-range and three-point shooting repeatedly burned the Suns, and he also created multiple opportunities for his teammates, dishing out nine assists.
2. Limit Three-Pointers and Turnovers
Denver outscored Phoenix from beyond the arc, hitting 16 threes compared to their seven. In the regular season, the Nuggets converted 37.9% of their three-pointers, the fourth-best percentage in the league. In Game 1, they made 43.2% of their threes, accounting for almost 40% of their total points. Murray did the most damage from deep, going 6/10. The Suns were dominant in the mid-range, but three points are better than two. They won’t be able to keep up with the Nuggets’ offense if they continue to allow this many points from deep and fail to convert more threes of their own.
They also need to work on taking care of the ball. Countless times Phoenix committed reckless turnovers, totaling 16. In turn, Denver scored 18 points off of them. Kevin Durant had a game-high seven turnovers, but making smarter passes and controlling the ball in transition can help limit that number.
3. Control the Boards
The battle of the glass was lopsided, with the Nuggets grabbing 49 boards to the Suns’ 38. Jokic alone grabbed half of Phoenix’s total rebounds, while Durant and Ayton were the only players to grab more than five on their team. Denver was also able to score 14 points on second-chance opportunities from grabbing 16 offensive rebounds. Phoenix will need to be more physical and work on boxing out.
4. Increase Bench Production
Most of the offensive load fell on Durant and Devin Booker, who poured in 29 and 27 points, respectively. Only two other players scored in the double-digits, with Deandre Ayton contributing 14 and Chris Paul 11. Their bench wasn’t much help either, combining for 24 points. While Denver’s bench scored 23, their impact went beyond the stat sheet. Also, all their starters scored double-digit points, with three scoring 20+.
Part of this can be blamed on a lack of depth, as Phoenix lost key players at the trade deadline when they acquired Durant. For Denver, they thrived even when Jokic and Murray were on the bench. The lineup of Porter Jr., Gordon, Jeff Green, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Bruce Brown was +9 in about five minutes of action. The Suns had the best offensive rating in the first round (122.5). But, against the Nuggets, their stars need scoring support from the bench to keep pace.
5. Improve Defensive Effort
One of the biggest adjustments the Suns need to make is on defense. With about five minutes left in the first half, Ayton watched from the baseline as Jokic and Durant battled for a rebound under Phoenix’s basket. This kind of defensive effort will only cost them easy points. The lack of hustle will repeatedly be exploited by an offensive-minded team like the Nuggets.
As a team, Phoenix needs to be more aggressive defensively and maintain their intensity until they regain possession of the ball. If Denver continues to get the looks they want as the defenders idly watch, this series will be over quickly.
