Most Startling Statistics of Denver Nuggets' Season so Far
When a team is underperforming, there are usually some surprising stats that help to explain the poor play. The Denver Nuggets are no exception to this theory, as their lowly start can be attributed to some bad numbers on offense.
Poor shooting, non-existent ball movement and a lack of chemistry have caused the Nuggets to look lost for long periods of time. It is up to coach Brian Shaw to implement a system that encourages teamwork for Denver to be successful this year.
This roster is talented enough to make the playoffs, but the team is currently not playing up to its potential. For the Nuggets to turn their season around, they must find a way to correct their glaring weaknesses. Otherwise, they will be looking at an early lottery pick come June.
Read ahead to find out some of the startling statistics for the Nuggets this season and some suggestions for what they can do moving forward.
Danilo Gallinari’s Shooting Percentage
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The Nuggets were expecting a big boost this season with their starting small forward, Danilo Gallinari, returning from a knee injury that kept him out of the entire 2013-14 campaign.
It would be an understatement to say that Gallinari has struggled to shake off the rust this year. With a shooting percentage of 26.8 percent, he would be last in the league if he qualified for that statistic.
In addition, he has lost his job in the starting lineup and hasn’t looked better with the team’s second unit. Gallinari has benefited from a few good games offensively but rarely follows up with another stellar performance.
It’s irrational to expect a player coming back from major knee surgery to be the competitior he was before the operation. However, Gallinari doesn’t even look close to the player he once was. Unless he can turn it around soon, he will go down as the Nuggets’ biggest disappointment in 2014-15.
Denver's 3-7 Record
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One of the biggest surprises this season is the Denver Nuggets' record. While they were not expected to be a juggernaut in the Western Conference, they were considered a contender to reach the postseason entering 2014-15.
Denver’s main reason for the poor start is the lack of cohesiveness. The ball movement on offense has been almost non-existent, as many of the possessions end with one-on-one battles that are easy to defend. This has caused the Nuggets’ shooting percentage to be one of the worst in the league at 42.9 percent.
At 3-7, Denver is one of the lowliest teams in the NBA, which is even worse considering the Nuggets are actively trying to make the playoffs. If they do not turn it around soon, coach Brian Shaw will have a tough time securing his job for the future.
One bright sign for the Nuggets is their recent win against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night. Denver was fortunate that it faced another team with chemistry issues, which helped the Nuggets to a 106-97 win. Denver improved their ball movement, racking up 25 assists. If they can continue on this path, they may be able to make a run in a poor Northwest Division.
Jusuf Nurkic's Foul Trouble
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Rookie, Jusuf Nurkic is averaging a ridiculous 10.71 fouls per 36 minutes so far in 2014-15. This is such a high number that Nurkic would foul out in the 20th minute on average if he played regularly enough.
Although Nurkic has shown promise this season, especially at rebounding the basketball, this figure shows that he is not mature enough to play regular minutes for the Nuggets.
Fortunately, this isn’t necessarily that bad of a thing for Denver. Many big men have foul troubles early in their career, and many of Nurkic’s fouls can be attributed to him helping his teammates on defense after they get beaten off the dribble. When he learns to use his feet and not his arms to defend, he will turn into a very good player for the Nuggets.
Until then, it may be better to give the Nurkic the opportunity of playing in the D-League. He has already seen his minutes decrease and hasn't played well enough to deserve more at this point. This will give him valuable playing time and allow him to learn to defend the hoop without fouling.
J.J. Hickson's Rebounding
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So far this list has been filled with negative statistics, but there are still several bright spots this season. One is the performance of J.J. Hickson—in particular, his rebounding.
Hickson has gobbled up an astonishing 17.2 rebounds per 36 minutes of action. This is such a high number that if Kenneth Faried ever went down for a long period of time, Hickson would actually have a shot at the rebounding title if he continued at his ridiculous pace.
Hickson is only averaging 16.3 minutes per game, and Shaw is doing the Nuggets a disservice by not putting him on the floor for a longer period of time. Not only has he done an excellent job of grabbing boards, but he has also provided an offensive spark with many of his points coming off putbacks.
Hickson can actually be a key to the Nuggets offense by creating second-chance opportunities. With so many players shooting contested jump shots, Denver can use Hickson’s high-percentage shots to create a spark in the offense. It’s up to Shaw to give him that opportunity.
JaVale McGee's Assist Total
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Despite playing in 114 minutes this season, JaVale McGee has yet to record an assist in 2014-15.
Although centers don’t usually rack up high assist numbers, many of today’s big men are skilled at passing from the high to low post and finding teammates out of the double-team. The fact that McGee has yet to record an assist shows how he is more concentrated on getting his own shot up, something that has plagued Denver the entire year.
McGee will never become an elite passer, but he and the other big men on the roster must find a way to create ball movement, as the Nuggets do not have a frontcourt player averaging two or more assists per game.
If the Nuggets can see their assist numbers rise, they will be less stagnant on offense and become more difficult for opponents to defend against.
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