NEW YORK — Friday morning, Nuggets coach Brian Shaw was in a seat at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis and felt right at home. There were familiar faces. There were just two reporters. There were no talking heads on the radio calling for his job.
It was just him, his team and the relative solitude needed to begin to turn things around.
The healing the Nuggets need right now is more between the ears than anything else. Giving a good effort starts with wanting to give a good effort. Rotating the right way on defense starts with wanting to focus. Boxing out, getting out to shooters, these things are all physical actions that require a mental edge.
And that’s essentially what the Nuggets are seeking.
Their 2-6 start hasn’t been talked about in exactly these terms. And maybe it won’t be. But for large chunks of last season, and now at the start of this one, getting players in the right frame of mind has been Shaw’s biggest challenge.
Wins will come in bunches when players decide to adhere to the principles that make teams successful. But each individual has to make that commitment. And then stick with it.
The start has been sour, but eight games don’t set the season’s course in stone. Things can change quickly in the NBA. The Memphis Grizzlies started off 15-19 last season before winning 35 of their last 48 games and qualifying for the playoffs. The Philadelphia 76ers started off 4-2 last season, with a win over then-defending champion Miami Heat, before turning into one of the worst teams in league history.
“Trust me, I’ve been two years in New York where almost every game was a blowout,” Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari said.
It’s early. Still.
Because of the quality of teams in the Western Conference, even an early-season turnaround might be too late to get back into the playoff mix. That’s why the Nuggets need to get in the right frame of mind right now.
There are good players in the Nuggets’ locker room. Some of those players were part of 57 wins two seasons ago. Some weren’t. Chemistry has been a problem early on this season, as has some players not being sure of their roles. Both of those issues fall on Shaw and the coaching staff to get sorted out.
There can be better days ahead. But unless Denver’s players can get their heads in the right spot, and they’ve had good moments mixed with a lot of bad, the season will ultimately spin out of control.
Christopher Dempsey: cdempsey @denverpost.com or dempseypost
