Denver’s last weekend in the familiar confines of Ball Arena for a few weeks didn’t get off to an ideal start, with a 122-118 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies preventing the Nuggets from building any more momentum after their victory in overtime on the LA Clippers. .
Despite a fourth straight triple-double from Nikola Jokić, the Nuggets struggled to stop Ja Morant (38 points) and failed to get enough production off the bench (17 points from second unit) to claim the victory.
The Nuggets (23-21) must now turn their attention to closing the homestand with a win over the rebuilding Detroit Pistons.
Detroit (11-34) has struggled as expected this season, with key injuries creating another hole for the young team to try to get through. The Pistons have the league’s worst offense this season by Cleaning the Glass, while their defense also ranks in the league’s bottom five.
Denver won both meetings between the two teams last season.
JAMAL MURRAY- LEFT KNEE INJURY RECOVERY / HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS. OUTSIDE.
MICHAEL PORTER JR. – LUMBAR SPINE SURGERY. OUTSIDE.
VLATKO CANCAR – RIGHT FOOT SURGERY. OUTSIDE.
JAMYCHAL GREEN – HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS. QUESTIONABLE.
JEFF GREEN – LEFT QUADRICEPS CONTUSION. QUESTIONABLE.
TO AGREE: 6 p.m. MT, Altitude TV and 92.5 FM
As previously mentioned, Detroit has struggled mightily at both ends of the floor, although one of the main reasons the Pistons rank higher on the defensive side of the floor is a result of their ability to force turnovers at high pace.
Detroit ranks eighth in the league in opponent turnover percentage, forcing teams to cough up 14.9% of their possessions this season. The Nuggets had their fair share of struggles when it came to handling the ball, but settled in just around the league average in turnover percentage (14.2%). Denver must avoid mistakes to limit easy scoring opportunities for Detroit’s struggling offense.
Can the second unit get back on track?
Despite Bryn Forbes’ debut for the Nuggets on Friday night, Team Mile High’s bench group couldn’t find rhythm in the loss to Memphis. Forbes scored nine points in 19 minutes of action (on 4-of-13 shooting), while Zeke Nnaji scored the other eight points from the bench for Denver.
Bones Hyland and Facundo Campazzo failed to get on the scoreboard, and Memphis capitalized to a 35-17 advantage in bench points. Sunday’s game with Detroit presents the Nuggets with a second-unit rebound opportunity and could present an opportunity for DeMarcus Cousins to make his Nuggets debut.
Attack the basket early and often
Detroit’s defense has been effective in limiting 3-point attempts this season, but it has opened up opportunities for teams to attack the paint accordingly. Pistons rank 23rdrd in the league in the frequency of opponents’ shot attempts coming from within four feet of the rim this season, and teams have connected on 64.8% of those attempts.
For a Nuggets team that has thrived around the rim this season (68.9 percent, fourth-highest percentage in the league), Sunday’s game against Detroit should provide plenty of scoring opportunities inside the paint.
