Last season, the then-defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets were considered to be the elite of the elite in the league, with superstar Nikola Jokic still playing at the top of his game and the team seemingly firing on all cylinders.
Unfortunately for Denver, the team’s flaws were exposed during the NBA playoffs, with the Nuggets unable to contend with Anthony Edwards and the defensive-minded Minnesota Timberwolves, who beat the defending champions with relative ease in the second round of the postseason.
Along with not looking great in the postseason, the Nuggets weren’t able to do much to improve their roster during the summer, which has been something that has concerned head coach Mike Malone.
The Nuggets head coach admitted on Thursday after the season-opening loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Denver that the team is lacking in the shooting department, according to Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports.
“Going into the season, shooting was a concern of mine. You lose a guy like KCP, who’s a 40% shooter,” Malone said.
Michael Malone: “Going into the season, shooting was a concern of mine. You lose a guy like KCP, who’s a 40% shooter.”
— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) October 25, 2024
In the loss to the Thunder, who many believe could end up being the best team in the league this season, the Nuggets shot poorly all over the floor, finishing by shooting 35.7% from the field (35-for-98) and 18.4% from the three-point line (7-for-38).
With the league now dominated by three-point shooting, the Nuggets won’t have much success this season if they can’t turn things around in the shooting department, which could be a considerable challenge, especially with the addition of Russell Westbrook, who struggles in that area.
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