The Nuggets have their hands over the reset button. They are at the doorstep of cleaning the slate after a hair-raising, 1-6 start. A win over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night would get them back to even this season at 7-7.
And, yes, it is a big deal to them.
“It’s huge,” said Nuggets coach Brian Shaw, who openly questioned how much longer he would be around in the midst of his team’s early struggles.
“If we win, it’s like we can start a new season,” center Timofey Mozgov said.
Digging out from one of the worst starts in team history appears to have simply taken a change in mind-set for the Nuggets, who have won four in a row.
During the streak, the Nuggets have played much better defense — the biggest source of their early problems — limiting opponents to 94.5 points per game and 41.5 percent shooting. Most of that improvement has simply been effort.
“I think everybody is starting to understand the value of bringing that defensive effort and intensity night in and night out,” Shaw said. “And even on a night where we didn’t shoot particularly well (such as Sunday against the Lakers in Los Angeles), we still gave ourselves the chance to win because of the fact that we defended.
“I think they are feeling more comfortable with what they are supposed to be doing with their defensive assignments. They are buying in to it more now. We’re seeing the results of that, the results being W’s for us.”
The Nuggets struggled at the offensive end throughout their 101-94 overtime victory against the Lakers. But defensively, they held the Lakers to 37.1 percent shooting, including 3-of-24 on 3-point attempts, and to fewer than 100 points even with an overtime period.
“Our defense ignites our offense. Getting rebounds, we’re able to run,” said backup forward Darrell Arthur. “Ty (Lawson) has been able to push the ball and find guys open. It definitely ignites our offense.”
Indicative of the Nuggets’ improved play at the defensive end: They limited New Orleans star Anthony Davis to 18 points Friday, seven points under his average. A day later, Davis scored 43 points in a victory at Utah.
Lakers star Kobe Bryant needed 24 shots Sunday to score 27 points against Denver. Last week, the Nuggets forced Oklahoma City’s most effective current scorer, Reggie Jackson, into 5-of-20 shooting.
“We’re playing hard,” Mozgov said. “We try to play defense hard, offense hard, try to do what Coach is asking us to do. We try to learn and just stay together.”
Christopher Dempsey: cdempsey@denverpost.com or
CHICAGO AT DENVER
7 p.m. Tuesday, ALT; 950 AM
Spotlight on Doug McDermott: It hasn’t been a sparkling start for McDermott. The player many Nuggets fans wanted Denver to keep from this year’s draft was averaging just 4.2 points per game on 45 percent shooting going into the Bulls’ game at Utah on Monday night. He was making just 24 percent of his 3-point shots.
NOTEBOOK
Nuggets: Center JaVale McGee had X-rays on his left tibia Monday, the day after being forced to leave the game in Los Angeles against the Lakers, when he got hurt. He is day to day. He had surgery on that bone in February to repair a stress fracture that would not heal on its own. A metal rod was placed in the leg. McGee had been playing well for the Nuggets in coming back from that injury. In just five minutes of play against the Lakers, he was able to make his only shot for two points and grab four rebounds.
Bulls: After missing their two stars, point guard Derrick Rose and forward Pau Gasol, for a few games because of injuries, both returned to action Monday night in the Bulls’ game at Utah. And so barring any complications, the duo should be available to play against the Nuggets. This is the second of a back-to-back set for the Bulls and the last of a five-game Western Conference portion of an overall seven-game road trip.
Christopher Dempsey, The Denver Post
