The Nuggets are good enough to flirt with disaster and still win
Dec 19, 2019, 6:58 AM
The good news is the Nuggets can seemingly flip a switch whenever they want, going from playing listless in inspired in the blink of an eye. The bad news is that they keep having to prove this point.
Time and time again this season, Denver has dug a big hole in a game, or squandered a late lead, only to find their way out in the nick of time. Wednesday’s win over the Magic was the latest example.
At one point in the third quarter, the Nuggets were trailing 69-50 on their home court. It looked like they were on their way to a sure defeat, in one of their uglies performances of the year. But then, they did what they always seem to do; they flipped a switch.
Denver went on a 24-0 running, powered by Jamal Murray and Paul Millsap, to go ahead 74-69. In the blink of an eye, a 19-point deficit turned into a five-point lead. From there, the Nuggets cruised to a 113-104 victory.
For most of the season, this habit has been something worthy of lamenting. It felt like a trait that would eventually catch up to Denver.
On occasion, that has been true. They did blow a late lead in Sacramento and were unable to rally in halftime, as they had earlier in the season at Minnesota. But for the most part, the Nuggets have played with fire and been able to avoid getting burned.
Common sense says that can’t continue. History and the law of averages suggest that it’ll eventually catch up to them.
But the body of work, which at this point is nearly one-third of the season, points to a different conclusion. Apparently, the Nuggets are good enough that they can survive by playing this type of basketball.
They can coast for a quarter or a half, flip a switch and beat bad teams. Especially on their home floor, Denver is talented enough that they don’t have to play their best, or even play hard for the entire game, in order to win.
That’s difficult to get used to, given that the Nuggets have never boasted that type of roster before. Fans in the Mile High City aren’t accustomed to their team being good enough to get away with that approach.
And it’s a little off-putting, as it goes against the grain of everything that sports are supposed to be about. Teams supposed to be rewarded for playing hard and doing the right things; coasting isn’t an admirable trait in any game.
But this Nuggets team appears to be different. They seem to be good enough to defy the basketball gods; they can laugh in the face of conventional wisdom and win despite not giving their best effort.
Is that a long-term formula for success? The basketball purists would say it’s not. But maybe, just maybe, Denver is good enough that the old-school rules don’t apply to them.
