{"id":136018,"date":"2025-04-24T12:05:26","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T16:05:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=136018"},"modified":"2025-04-24T12:05:26","modified_gmt":"2025-04-24T16:05:26","slug":"nuggets-defense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/04\/24\/nuggets-defense\/","title":{"rendered":"The Nuggets Have a Championship-Caliber Defense"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Denver Nuggets\u2013Los Angeles Clippers<\/a> series has been the most compelling postseason matchup so far. With two games going down to the wire and both teams playing with urgency from the opening tip, it\u2019s clear they are aware that even the smallest details could swing the outcome between such evenly matched squads. The Nuggets entered the series under a cloud of uncertainty. A poor run to close the regular season led to the dismissal of longtime head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth. This turmoil raised doubts about their ability to make a deep postseason run. The biggest question about this team’s championship viability was their poor defense throughout the regular season, being ranked 21st in defensive efficiency<\/a>, allowing 115.1 points per 100 possessions.<\/p>\n

Among the main issues were Nikola Jokic’s<\/a> lackluster efforts throughout large parts of the season on that end. To be fair, this was mainly due to the added offensive burden he had to carry. The supposed defensive leaders, like Aaron Gordon<\/a> and Christian Braun<\/a>, both had underwhelming seasons defensively, with the former struggling with several injuries, while the latter was seemingly not able to replicate his defensive production coming off the bench as a starter. It looked unlikely that they could flip the switch so drastically in the postseason and prove that the Nuggets have a championship-caliber defense. However, in the playoffs<\/a>, the Nuggets have an improved 110.3 defensive rating. Let’s dive into the Nuggets’ defense in the playoffs so far.<\/p>\n

The Nuggets Have a Championship-Caliber Defense<\/h2>\n

In the first quarter of Game 1, it seemed like nothing had changed \u2014 the Nuggets’ defense struggled as James Harden<\/a> and Ivica Zubac<\/a> repeatedly carved them up with pick-and-rolls. Yet magically, after that, it seems like this team completely flipped the switch, looking the best defensively they ever have. Every player who was a disappointment on that end of the floor for the Nuggets looks completely rejuvenated and provides a level of effort unthinkable during the regular season.<\/p>\n

Nikola Jokic is Providing the Necessary Effort on Defense<\/h3>\n

While Jokic is unlikely to win the MVP this season, due in part to inconsistent defensive effort throughout the year. Fortunately, however, it seems that he has saved his energy to give maximum effort on that end of the floor in the playoffs. Though he will never be Denver\u2019s premier defender, his ability to stay solid, use his intelligence, and avoid being a liability has made a major impact and is essential to make this defensive system work.<\/p>\n

Denver\u2019s scheme is built around Jokic stepping out to pressure ball handlers in pick-and-roll situations, minimizing his weaknesses, particularly rim protection, while amplifying his strengths: his quick hands, surprising quickness in short distances, and elite rebounding. This system demands significant effort, requiring Jokic to step out on the perimeter and then quickly recover to the roller, having to use his strength to take away the advantageous position the opposing player has gained through Jokic leaving him. While the necessary effort for this system to work was not frequently present during the regular season, it has been a completely different story in the playoffs. Jokic has helped Denver deliver consistently strong defensive performances. But in the end, he is just a cog in a well-working machine, which needs standout performers to be effective.<\/p>\n

Aaron Gordon: Back to His Best<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Gordon\u2019s regular season was disappointing, marred by injuries and inconsistencies, which never allowed him to get into a good rhythm. His defense, in particular, was a concern, which raised questions about whether the best years were already behind him. But since the playoffs began, Gordon has returned to peak form on both ends of the floor. He brings a steady offensive threat and has the difficult task of being the primary defender on Kawhi Leonard<\/a>. The mental lapses and frequent blow-bys that plagued him during the regular season now appear to be mostly behind him.<\/p>\n

One lingering critique of Gordon is that in Game 2, he often allowed low-resistance switches that frequently left Jamal Murray<\/a> guarding Kawhi Leonard, which largely enabled the Clippers star to have his monster performance. Notably, Kawhi has shot a perfect 10 for 10 while being defended<\/a> by Murray this series. But if the biggest criticism of your performances is that almost nobody can keep the opposing stars in check like you do, then it reflects the incredible value you have provided for your team. Yet, one elite defender normally is not enough; the Nuggets’ championship core heavily relied on two defensive studs in Aaron Gordon and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope<\/a>. The Nuggets and AG desperately need a complementary defensive partner to share responsibilities.<\/p>\n

A New Star is Born<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The decision to let veteran Kentavious Caldwell-Pope walk<\/a> in the offseason was heavily scrutinized. The Nuggets placed their trust in Christian Braun, a move many saw as risky. Could Braun hold his own offensively? Would his defensive impact translate when given starter minutes? Could he fill the role KCP played as a secondary DHO (Dribble hand off) option for Nikola Jokic?<\/p>\n

The answers, during the regular season, were mixed. Braun has posted a career-high scoring average and developed a strong chemistry with Jokic, especially in transition situations, but at the price of his defense slipping. Thus far in the playoffs, however, he has returned to his past defensive excellence, combining athleticism and great communication skills to be a leader on that end of the floor. In addition, unlike KCP, Braun\u2019s physicality allows for seamless defensive switches with Gordon, because while he is not quite as tall or strong as AG, superior quickness and leaping ability have made him an effective defensive matchup even against physical forwards such as Leonard. The gamble on Braun is looking more and more like a winning bet.<\/p>\n

Peyton Watson: Shades of 2023 Christian Braun<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Another young player making waves is Peyton Watson<\/a>. His playing time\u2014or lack thereof\u2014was a point of contention<\/a> between former GM Calvin Booth and head coach Michael Malone. Watson’s raw talent and defensive upside are undeniable, but questions remain about his decision-making and limited offensive skillset. Both sides were understandable. Watson is an athletic freak with All-Defensive potential, so it makes sense for him to play more to develop. However, he still makes a lot of mental mistakes and lacks basketball IQ, making him a liability in some games.<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, Watson has impressed early in the series. In Game 1, the lineup featuring Him, Gordon, and Braun, while offensively clunky, was defensively dominant. Watson may not yet be ready for a consistent role, but his impact in spot minutes is already evident. His energy and versatility off the bench are reminiscent of Braun\u2019s emergence during the 2023 postseason. Ironically enough, it might turn out that both Booth and Malone were right in some way. Watson has undeniable talent; he just needed more guidance from Malone to become a consistent contributor. If the two had met halfway, they might\u2019ve both walked away satisfied.<\/p>\n

The Last Word\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Coming into the playoffs, Denver\u2019s defense was viewed as the team\u2019s Achilles’ heel. But the Nuggets have shown they are capable on that end of the floor through grit, tactical discipline. Notably, during their 2023 championship from 15th<\/a> in the regular season to fourth in the playoffs<\/a>. A similar jump could be possible this year. If this level of defense holds, Denver will be a serious threat to become champions again.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Photo credit: \u00a9 Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Denver Nuggets\u2013Los Angeles Clippers series has been the most compelling postseason matchup so far. With two games going down to the wire and both teams playing with urgency from the opening tip, it\u2019s clear they are aware that even the smallest details could swing the outcome between such evenly matched squads. The Nuggets entered […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5490,"featured_media":136057,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,20,62],"tags":[472,4524,72,48957],"class_list":["post-136018","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-nuggets","category-nba","tag-aaron-gordon","tag-christian-braun","tag-nikola-jokic","tag-peyton-watson"],"modified_by":"Eamon Cassels, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136018","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5490"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=136018"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136018\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":136058,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136018\/revisions\/136058"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/136057"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=136018"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=136018"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=136018"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}