MEMPHIS – Veterans Paul Millsap and Will Barton know that for the Nuggets to reach their potential – or even just hold their own with six of their next seven games on the road – their defense can’t be negotiable.
Lately it has been.
In all but one of Denver’s last seven games, opponents have reached at least 30 points in the first quarter. In Saturday’s win over Philadelphia, that number swelled to 37.
“We should’ve put (the 76ers) away (early),” Millsap said. “Against a good team, we’re going to have to learn how to put teams away when we’ve got a lead like that.”
Barton, who’s been back for more than two weeks since his core surgery, has seen first-hand the breakdowns and lapses that have contributed to the Nuggets’ 23rd ranked defense over that span.
“We’ve been having leads just based on our offense,” Barton. “We feel like if our defensive intensity matched our offense then we probably could be putting teams away by halftime.”
In general, Denver’s defense has gotten better deeper into games. The Nuggets have the fourth-best defensive rating in the second half of games since Jan. 1.
“We’re definitely waiting to kind of get the defense into the game that we were accustomed to seeing for 48 (minutes) in the beginning of the season,” said Nuggets coach Michael Malone. “Whether itap halftime, imploring guys, showing clips, cleaning some things up. Sometimes just making an adjustment. A lot of times itap just, ‘Hey, do it harder, do it better.’”
In recent weeks Malone has lamented his team’s preparation, whether in knowing an opponentap tendencies or watching an opponentap previous game. Itap part of the reason the Nuggets (33-15), despite their record, often look ill-prepared at tipoff.
“And communicate. How many times have I talked about our lack of communication this year?” Malone said. “Itap really kind of comical at times. We had probably a two or three minutes stretch against Philly after dead balls or free throws where no one knew who they had, and itap not (assistant coach) Wes Unseld’s fault. He’s telling guys. But sure enough as they bring the ball up the floor, we have two guys guarding one and no one guarding this guy, and thatap the kind of stuff that is infuriating at times.”
Those are also the kind of lapses that become more pronounced and more difficult to overcome away from the Pepsi Center.
“Gonna have to play defense, itap as simple as that,” Millsap said. “Either play or lose. Especially on the road. You’ve gotta get stops on the road.”
