MEMPHIS — After surrendering 122 points in a stunning loss to the Clippers, forward matter-of-factly expressed his confidence that the Nuggets will improve defensively down the stretch.
“Trust me, we will get better on the defensive end,” Millsap said following his first game back from a three-month absence due to wrist surgery.
Millsap’s presence, of course, is a primary reason for optimism. He was an NBA all-defensive second-team selection in 2016. And he was particularly active in Tuesday’s first half against the Clippers, covering ground on the floor and blocking two shots.
“Hopefully (Millsap) has an impact on our other players,” coach Michael Malone said at Friday’s shootaround at FedEx Forum prior to the Nuggets’ game against the Grizzlies. “And it can’t just be, ‘Well, Paul’s back. He’s gonna cover up all my mistakes.’
“We’ve shown that we can defend. Now the challenge is, ‘OK, how do you do it consistently?’ We’ve gotten away from that, obviously.”
Denver entered Friday ranked last in the NBA in defensive efficiency (113.3 points allowed per 100 possessions) and opponent field-goal percentage (50.1) over its last 15 games. One of the Nuggets’ biggest struggles has been guarding basketball’s signature play, the pick-and-roll. Most recently, the Clippers’ 7-foot-3 Boban Marjanovic carved the Nuggets up for 18 points in 15 minutes to fuel a rally from a 19-point second-half deficit to win.
“It starts with the big guys communicating,” Malone said. “Then it becomes the smalls hearing that call and honoring the call and sending the ball to the coverage … they all have a role in the play.”
Tough month ahead. Malone organized a team dinner in Memphis Thursday night, complete with fried catfish, ribs and other Southern cuisine. The coach quipped that he was “just happy that nobody threw any soup at me,” a playful jab at the Cleveland Cavaliers after JR Smith was suspended for Thursday’s loss to Philadelphia for throwing a bowl of soup at assistant coach Damon Jones.
It was a lighthearted start to a challenging March for the Nuggets, who play 11 of their 15 games on the road. Denver entered Friday’s game here 9-19 on the road, the worst mark of any Western Conference playoff team.
Malone emphasized that his team must “embrace” the challenge ahead. But he also wants to keep his players loose.
“If we go into every game thinking every play is life and death, we’re gonna be so (darn) nervous and tight,” Malone said. “We don’t play well when we’re like that. Nobody does.”
Footnote: Denver two-way wing Torrey Craig has been transferred back to the G Leauge’s Sioux Falls Skyforce, allowing him to steadily ramp up his game reps following a strained hamstring without burning any more of his 45-day limit with the Nuggets. Malone said he expects Craig to return to the Nuggets in about a week to finish out the rest of the regular season.
NUGGETS AT CAVALIERS
When: 5:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland
TV/Radio: ALT; 950 AM
Spotlight on LeBron James: The reason the Cavaliers made a flurry of moves at the trade deadline? They needed to revitalize their team to make a legitimate title run in what could be James’ final season in Cleveland. James remains an MVP contender, entering Friday ranked fourth in the NBA in scoring (26.7 per game) while adding 8.4 rebounds and nine assists per game. He’s shooting 54.4 percent from the floor and 36 percent from 3-point distance.
