Knicks blow out Nuggets: Denver’s defensive problems

On By Pranco

Good morning, I’m Dan Gartland. Between Memphis’ upset of UConn, Auburn’s last-second win over Iowa State and North Carolina’s 21-point comeback against Dayton, the first day of the Maui Invitational couldn’t have been better.

In today’s SI:AM:

The Nuggets Struggle
Ravens win Harbowl
The evolution of Juan Soto

A month into the NBA season, the Denver Nuggets — less than two years removed from the franchise’s first championship — are languishing in the middle of the Western Conference standings. And they hit a new low Monday night at home in a 145-118 shellacking by the New York Knicks.

The Knicks led by 23 at the end of the first half and never looked back. The Nuggets never cut the lead to less than 17 points. OG Anunoby led the way for New York with a career-high 40 points and Karl-Anthony Towns added 30 on 12-of-15 shooting.

Denver coach Michael Malone called out his team for their poor performance after the loss.

‘Tonight we were ashamed’ said Malone. “We are sixteen games in and we are talking about effort. We have to ask ourselves this question: who do we want to be as a team?

“Playing like you actually care would be great.”

To their credit, the Nuggets players agreed their effort was lacking.

“It’s not the X’s and the O’s,” said Jamal Murray. ‘It wasn’t a miss or make. I just think they played harder.”

What’s most confusing for the Nuggets is that they laid an egg so quickly after a dominant 127-102 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday. But it’s been kind of an up and down season for Denver. The Nuggets are 9-7 on the year and tied with the Phoenix Suns for seventh place in the West. It’s an unexpected place to see the Nuggets after finishing in the top three of the conference in five of the past six seasons, but it’s not undeserved.

The biggest difference between this year’s Nuggets team and last year’s is the defense. Denver has never been a great defensive team, but its position in the middle or closer to the top of the league has allowed its efficient offense to take the lead in recent years. This year, however, the defense has slipped. The 145 points the Knicks scored on Monday night were the most allowed by any team in a match this season. So are the Nuggets one of only six teams to not hold an opponent below 100 points in any match this season. They rank 23rd in points allowed per game and 17th in points allowed per 100 possessions. By comparison, last season they ranked sixth in points allowed per game and eighth in defensive efficiency.

One reason for the skid is that Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA, left in free agency and signed with the Orlando Magic. Aaron Gordon, another solid defender, has been out since November 4 with a calf injury and will remain sidelined indefinitely. You can’t expect a shorthanded Nuggets team to keep its opponents in check if the players aren’t giving it their all every night. That’s why Malone criticized the lack of effort from his players on Monday. And he wasn’t afraid to name names. Malone said he appreciated veteran Russell Westbrook’s leadership, but the team needs its top players to step up and take charge.

“He’s vocal,” Malone said of Westbrook. “But we need more than Russell Westbrook. I need Nikola Jokić. I need Jamal Murray. I need guys who have been here in the starting lineup to be vocal. And tonight we were ashamed.”

Luckily for the Nuggets, as long as Jokić remains an elite player, they can beat just about anyone. And Jokić has been as excellent as ever this season. He leads the NBA with 13.4 rebounds per game and is fourth in scoring and second in assists. He’s the kind of do-it-all superstar who can see through a lot of a team’s shortcomings. But unless Denver sorts things out defensively, a return to championship contention remains a long way off.

November 25, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Ravens' John Harbaugh shakes hands with brother and Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh.

Baltimore defeated LA on Monday in Harbowl. / Kirby Lee-Imagn images

…things I saw yesterday:

5. No. 1 NHL draft pick Macklin Celebrini’s no-look goalhis fifth of the season.
4. Lamar Jackson’s perfect accuracy on a touchdown pass that traveled more than 50 yards in the air.
3. UConn guard Solo Ball’s buzzer beater to force overtime against Memphis. However, the Tigers won in OT and handed the No. 2 Huskies their first loss of the season.
2. Johni Broomes tip-in game winner for Auburn against Iowa State.
1. Jaden Ivey’s game winner at the buzzer for the Pistons against the Raptors.