National Basketball Association

Denver Nuggets vs Portland Trail Blazers: 10 Note-Worthy Takeaways

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 11:04 a.m. ET

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Oct 16, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried (35) and Portland Trail Blazers forward Mason Plumlee (24) fight for a rebound during the third quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports

With Emmanuel Mudiay and Danilo Gallinari out, the Denver Nuggets blazed past Portland.

Portland came out firing. Their ball movement and three-point shooting (mixed with the Nuggets early turnovers), made it seem like this was going to be a long night. After the first quarter, Portland was 7-9 from 3 and had a 9 point lead.

Then the tide seemed to change in the 2nd quarter. Portland looked unstoppable early, but the Nuggets were able to adjust defensively. They missed contributions from three usual starters (Gary Harris, Emmanuel Mudiay, and Danilo Gallinari) and one key bench piece (Darrell Arthur), but were still able to win thanks to their depth.

Wilson Chandler led the Nuggets with 18 points as they outscored the Blazers 80-63 from the second quarter on.

This was big as the Nuggets were able to put their rough start behind them. It should be noted that superstar Damian Lillard did take a bench spot for the second. That would certainly help any comeback.

Even in a great win like this, there were pluses and minuses to takeaway. Let’s take a look at a couple reasons to be excited, and slightly cautious, about the upcoming season.

Oct 16, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) dribbles around Denver Nuggets guard Jameer Nelson (1) during the second quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports

#1- Denver looked shaky offensively in the first, but quickly turned that around in the second half.

Denver didn’t look terrible in the first quarter, but the Trailblazers looked great. It would be easy to say that Damian Lillard or CJ McCollum were ‘taking-over’, but that wasn’t the case.

The Nuggets showed nice offense lead by Will Barton, but lackluster defense and sloppy play on multiple possessions. The Nuggets collapsed the paint as Lillard and McCollum slashed to the hoop, leading to wide open three pointers for Al-Fariq Aminu and Moe Harkless. At one point in the first, Portland was 7-9 from behind-the-arc. That ended with the Nuggets being outscored 34-26 in the first.

The second was a different story. The Nuggets really started to settle in defensively, while also pushing the pace offensively.

Denver’s 8 steals in the first half kept them changed the tide of the game. Jamal Murray led the floor with on a couple fast breaks as the Nuggets outscored the Blazers 33-18 in the second.

Leading 59-52 going into the second half, Here are a couple key stats:

Next: The Thrill

Oct 16, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Will Barton (5) drives to the basket past Portland Trail Blazers forward Al-Farouq Aminu (8) and guard Damian Lillard (0) during the first quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports

#2- Will Barton’s confidence growing

We saw a lot from Will Barton that seemed familiar, but he also seems to be gaining confidence in Denver’s’ offense.

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He was attacking the basket well Sunday night, scoring the first Denver points on an and-one floater (although he missed the free throw). He also had an early missed dunk in the lane which bounced off the rim. It was a great drive to the hoop one a crossover move, but he couldn’t connect.

He could have used a little refinement, but his skill was on full display. Will is defending at a high level this preseason, while also making plays defensively. It looks like he has also been working on his catch-and-shoot game this offseason. He used this for a nice 3-pointer in the second half, which he immediately followed by another step-back 3 on the next offensive possession. Barton ended up shooting 2- 3 from three Sunday Night.

Will showed great length when driving to the cup and is really proving himself as a capable two-way player. He ended the game with 17 points and 7 assists, while scoring, facilitating and looking like a leader.

It is hard to come-by in Denver, but these upgrades should buy him more minutes on the floor.

Oct 16, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Denver Nuggets center Jusuf Nurkic (23) is fouled by Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) and forward Al-Farouq Aminu (8) during the first quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports

#3- Great game to show off the Jurkic combo

Nurkic and Jokic started together, and for the most part looked great all game.

Nurkic was heating up early. His athleticism, strength, and size were hard to match, as he rumbled to 5/6 from free throw line in the first which is a great sign as he struggled from the line last season.

Jokic’s passing looks solid as usual, but couldn’t quite get it going offensively. He has a knack for drawing defenders and always seems to find the open man. Nurkic’s strength and size makes him hard to guard. He is also great defensively due to his athleticism, but he does struggle against quicker power forwards which could prove to be a problem.

Together, Jokic and Nurkic can protect the paint with ease. On offense, both can shoot with range, making for a great at high-low game.

Jokic finished with 5 pts, 8 boards. Nurkic finished with 13 pts, 9 boards. And they each added 1 assist.

They are a great combo, but do need to grow more. More athleticism and speed would allow both to guard outside the paint with more success.

The Nurkic/Jokic on-court pairing is something I'll be paying close attention to this season. (h/t @nbawowy) pic.twitter.com/5mjAwONpcz

— Nicholas Sciria (@Nick_Sciria) October 17, 2016

Next: The Arc

Oct 16, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Mason Plumlee (24) shoots over Denver Nuggets center Jusuf Nurkic (23) during the second quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports

#4- Poor Perimeter Defense from the Nuggets Was Huge

Just halfway through the first, the Blazers were 5-7 from 3.

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All five of those shots were wide-open after the Nuggets collapsed the paint with help defense. Even though this can be mostly attributed to CJ or Damian’s drive and dish skill, the Nuggets looked uninspiring on defense. They seemed slow and at times confused as Portland whipped the ball around the court for multiple open three point attempts.

This is where Nurkic and Jokic on the floor has benefits, but also flaws. It seemed like the Nuggets were solid inside, but couldn’t keep up with the Blazers screens and ball movement. This can be extra deadly if a team is hot from behind the arc.

As the lineup changed in the second quarter, Denver started to make more defensive plays, steals, and blocks. That improved defense helped to gain a lead going into half. It also helped the Lillard took a seat for the night.

Overall, just a case of the Nugget showing their youth.

They showed strength inside, but perimeter defense may be the weakest part of the team. There were way too many wide open looks due to rotation confusions. The good news is this should get better with time, especially with Mike Malone at the helm.

Oct 16, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Mason Plumlee (24) drives to the basket past Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) during the first quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports

#5- This Could Be a Preview

The Blazers were looking like playoff contenders early in Sunday’s game.

They showed great ball movement, resulting in open shots. Early, Lillard and CJ were driving to the hoop, while Harkless and Aminu were hitting their open threes. The team looked confident. Great passing from all players led to trust in the three and multiple splashes from behind the arc.

Portland stopped looking so scary in the second. Denver settled in and made some defensive adjustments, and started to stop the Blazers offensive plans. Hopefully this inconsistently doesn’t continue, but it could, and this could be just the beginning.

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The Blazers came out strong again to start the second half. Their ball movement once again looks elite, and they saw many open looks. CJ McCollum was too good, hitting a step-back 3 to take the lead midway through the third

Overall, the Blazers looked ok. With Crabbe, Turner, Harkless, and Aminu all look like solid scoring contributors to place around CJ and Lillard, they look like a team that will find themselves in the p,layoffs as expected. But the Nuggets did come into Portland and proved that we are here to play.

This will a preview for several games throughout this long 82-game season.

Oct 3, 2016; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) controls the ball against the Toronto Raptors during the fourth quarter at Scotiabank Saddledome. Denver Nuggets won 108-106. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

#6- Jamal Murray and Juancho Hernangomez started slow, but settle in well

Murray entered the game late in the first, followed by Hernangomez early in the second.

Early, both were very active on the defensive end. Hernangomez had a block as soon as he came in the game, while Murray had a quick steal on the next possession. The only problem was that both of these plays ended with Denver turnovers.

Murray was attacking the rim consistently but with no luck on the shot. He did show creativity with his shot selection, but was a little hectic early. Murray started to pull things together later in the second quarter. He showed great court vision and ball control while pushing on the fast break. Driving and dishing, doing his best Damian Lillard impression.

Jamal seemed to be making rookie mistakes, but overall looks like he has leadership, talent, and a constant attack attitude that will benefit him in this league. He ended the game with 15 pts, 7 reb, and 5 ast.

Hernangomez didn’t do much in the first. He seemed a little frazzled early. But he did show more life in the second half. He looked solid on defense next to Jokic and Faried in the 3rd, and put up a pretty 3 pointer at the beginning of the 4th. He was very active on both sides of the ball, and ended the game well with 7 pts, 5 reb, and 1 ast.

**Rookie P.S.** Malik Beasley looked great and confident for a rookie, but needs more time and experience to build on that. Hopefully that is possible with the crowded lineup.

Oct 12, 2016; Lincoln, NE, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried (35) drives to the hoop against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Minnesota won 105-88. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports

#7- Is the bench Faried’s place?

Faried came off the bench for 9pts, 5 reb, and 1 assist.

He looked good when he was in. Faried relies on others to create offense as usual, but seems to have worked on post-game. He still boasts the solid defense, rejecting shots and providing energy when in the game. The manimal is still a Manimal on the boards. Unfortunately, he is still weak at shooting, putting up an air-ball in the 4th. He was posting up and making floaters/hookshots with more consistency, but his jumper still needs work.

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Interestingly, Hernangomez and Faried look good side by side on defense. Their max energies looked great on the floor together. This may be something to keep in mind for the future.

Overall, Faried can be a great asset this season for the Nuggets. Faried would be extremely dynamic off the bench, and can start when needed to. He provides that spark of energy that can be vital for a team with playoff hopes.

#8- Jameer Nelson semi-effective, but draining valuable minutes

This is not a knock on Jameer Nelson. The 12-year veteran and former All-Star is a great asset. On the floor, he does seem like the most experienced guard with highest current basketball IQ.

But with a lack of size and dwindling speed, he is not very effective offensively or defensively.
Jameer did put up a solid 12 pts, 3 reb, and 4 assists, and did look consistent in his play. One downside to Nelson on defense is his small stature, especially compared to the Nuggets younger/bigger guards.

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He does have the body language of a vet, but lacks the speed he had as a younger player (which hurts at his size). His biggest asset to the team is a rookie mentor, which he has seemed unfriendly to the idea of mentoring more than playing.

The Nuggets looked better with Jamal Murray at the helm, and backup PG minutes will be hard to come by behind Mudiay. Even Malik Beasley looked like he has more potential.

Sure he is raw, but doesn’t he deserve more of a share in a meaningless preseason game than Nelson to help his development?

Oct 16, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler (21) dribbles past Portland Trail Blazers forward Maurice Harkless (4) during the first quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports

#9- Wilson Chandler Is the REAL Deal

Wilson was hot from three early. He ended the game leading the Nuggets with 18 pts, 5 reb, and 1 ast, going 4-5 from deep. He looked like his veteran self. Cool, calm, collected, something we desperately need to rub off on rookies.

During the second quarter, he seemed to set the tone for the team. It was almost like his cool attitude DID rub off on the rookies, as the Nuggets took the lead in the second. Wilson stayed hot and consistent from 3 in the 3rd. He looked slow and steady when getting to the hoop on a floater, showing great patience when driving.

Overall, Wilson was great on both ends of the floor. Nothing flashy, but solid vet who is needed as a leader. If some of what Wilson has can rub off on the team, the Nuggets will be golden.

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Will proved to most fans in this meaningless preseason game that he back and ready to dominate for the Nuggets second unit!

Oct 16, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Maurice Harkless (4) passes the ball against the Denver Nuggets during the first quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports

#10- Nuggets keep their lead and roll to a win over the Blazers

The trailblazers led early, and mounted a comeback in the third. They traded blows with Denver, but couldn’t quite comeback. The Blazers started to come back, but then Nuggets were rolling on all cylinders.

This was a problem in their last game when they took on the Warriors, and their second unit was completely demolished. Maybe the rookies are just catching on quickly. The Nuggets gave up a 12 points lead on Friday, and they made sure not to do it again which is promising.

Denver outscored the Trailblazers 22-21, and Denver kept the lead 81-72 after the 3rd. One weak aspect was perimeter defense, but this was made-up for with great offense and crashing the boards.

Nuggets keep the lead and roll to a win. They traded blows with the Blazers to end the game, but overall looked more dominant in the Bench department. Malone got a lot of the rookies minutes, with great success.

Successful game overall.

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