(This article was written with the assistance of Castmagic, an AI tool, and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy. Please reach out to us if you notice any mistakes.)
The Denver Nuggets might be cruising just fine in the regular season, but could there be more to the story than meets the eye? As Kevin O’Connor and Tom Haberstroh pointed out on “The Kevin O’Connor Show,” Denver’s recent struggles against top teams in the league have started raising some eyebrows. With a record of 5-12 against teams in the top six of their conference, the sheen on the Nuggets’ season is starting to look a tad worn.
O’Connor’s insight, highlighting concerns with the Nuggets’ defensive struggles, frames a fascinating exploration into where Denver might be heading. Jamal Murray’s frustration, notably visible, echoes a less-discussed narrative: Denver’s downfall may be internal, a victim of both inconsistent shooting and defensive miscues.
When you have Nikola Jokic whisking the ball around like a wizard, certain fundamentals might escape scrutiny. But as O’Connor noted, “there’s … a running theme for the Nuggets … they don’t have enough defense.” Haberstroh pointed to the offseason loss of key defensive stalwarts like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as having left a gaping hole that regular season numbers can obscure but cannot fix.
What becomes particularly intriguing is how teams adjust in the playoffs when the game shrinks and margins for error disappear. The panel’s conversation highlighted an interesting aspect: getting stops and converting them into offense is essential, especially when your marquee player operates best with open lanes and surprise blitzes.
Denver’s shooting woes are exacerbated by a lineup that doesn’t organically translate into point production from beyond the arc. As O’Connor mentioned, “sometimes there are lineups out there … and it’s like they just don’t need to be defended”—a worrisome trend when efficiency could be the final key to any championship run.
The Nuggets’ inconsistency stretches into their perimeter defense — a glaring issue when facing elite contenders. If teams can expose vulnerabilities during the stretch run, it raises the fundamental question: Are the Nuggets sitting tight while their championship window quietly slips away?
Listen to the full discussion on “The Kevin O’Connor Show” on Apple, Spotify or YouTube.
Read the full article here
