After a stirring Game 1 between the Nuggets and Clippers, here are three trends to watch Monday in Game 2 and for the remainder of the first-round series.
Aaron Gordon’s versatility: One pretty significant aspect of Denver’s dismal pick-and-roll defense in the first quarter was the unproductive space occupied by Nikola Jokic, who probably needed to be more aggressive at the level of the screen. Instead, James Harden often had an easy pass to the short-rolling Ivica Zubac, and the Nuggets found themselves stuck in 3-on-4, as they have all too often this season. Eventually, they adjusted with some cross-matching. Gordon started a handful of possessions on Zubac, allowing Denver to switch pick-and-rolls, while Jokic was matched up on Clippers guard Kris Dunn, their weakest offensive threat in the starting lineup. Jokic was able to stray away from Dunn, offering extra help near the paint (even if he’s not a formidable rim protector) and inviting the ball to find the open man. Later in the game, Jokic improved at pushing ball-handlers out toward the sideline when the Clippers put him in ball-screens. Mostly, though, Denver’s ability to make the earlier adjustment was a testament to the value of Gordon. The Nuggets are comfortable with him guarding an opposing point guard or center, both of whom, in this case, are getting All-NBA votes.
How Denver’s closing lineup affected matchups: The Clippers used Kawhi Leonard as their primary defender on Jamal Murray for the end of regulation and overtime. But whether they’ll depend on that matchup in crunch time all series is unclear — because there’s no telling who will close games for Denver. In Game 1, it was the sixth man Russell Westbrook over Michael Porter Jr., a roller-coaster of a decision by David Adelman that ultimately paid off. Put plainly, Porter’s 3-point shooting pedigree keeps defenses honest. Westbrook’s does not. So the Clippers moved around their chess pieces. Dunn had spent most of the game on Murray, but he was assigned to “guard” Westbrook toward the end by dramatically helping off of him, utilizing his instincts and athleticism to intercept a Murray-to-Jokic pocket pass in the last minute of overtime. And without Porter on the court for Leonard to defend, he instead guarded Murray. The Clippers tried to crowd Denver’s two-man game as much as possible and funnel the ball to Westbrook. “There were multiple times when they changed their defense — I’m not stupid — I was like, ‘I cannot believe I don’t have Michael Porter in the game right now, standing in the corner,’” Adelman said on Sunday. “But you have to go off feel, and I thought our defensive intensity and energy is what won us the game.” If Porter closes Game 2, will Leonard still match up with Murray during those crucial possessions?
Nuggets can hunt mismatches, too: It’s no secret. The Clippers have multiple isolation assassins, and the easiest way to score in isolation is to strand the opponent’s worst defender on the island. Murray and Porter predictably got hunted at various moments Saturday. But even though the Nuggets were bottom-five in isolation frequency this season, they’re still adept at attacking mismatches. The Clippers did a lot of switching in Game 1, and Denver took advantage by feeding Jokic with his back to the basket against the smaller Dunn a few times. According to the league’s matchup data, Jokic went 3 of 4 from the field with two assists and no turnovers when he was defended by Dunn. The Nuggets should want to return to that throughout the series whenever they have the opportunity. After all, Zubac is generally one of the best defensive centers in the league at making Jokic work in the post. The three-time MVP shot 6 for 11 inside the arc with Zubac defending him in Game 1, which looks efficient but is 8% worse than Jokic’s regular-season 2-point percentage.
