National Basketball Association

Nuggets vs. Pistons: Takeaways from Round Two's Loss

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 2:20 p.m. ET

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Nov 12, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari (8) reacts during the second half against the Detroit Pistons at Pepsi Center. The Pistons won 106-95. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

This rematch proved to be another disappointment for the Denver Nuggets, who lost thanks to mediocre shooting and a few key mistakes.

Changing the starting line-up didn’t do much good for the Nuggets, who once again found themselves playing from behind early in the 1st quarter. which ended with a score of 36-19.

In allowing this early deficit, lackadaisical defense was largely to thank. Many Pistons players found themselves left uncovered, and able to take the same shots over and over, as their pick and roll efficiency proved to be far above that of Denver’s. After the brutal opening quarter came to an end, the Nuggets finally started making the necessary defensive adjustments, slowing down the Pistons’ offense, and bringing their lead down to just three points with about 4 minutes left int he second.

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But in the end, the Pistons proved to be the better all around team. Andre Drummond double-doubled, but he was more or less contained. Six different Pistons players scored in double-digits, which exposed Denver’s three primary defensive weaknesses.

Nov 12, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Jon Leuer (30) shoots the ball against Denver Nuggets guard Jameer Nelson (1) during the second half at Pepsi Center. The Pistons won 106-95. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Protect the paint!

This Nuggets team is weak in the paint. Too many opponents are getting to the rim with ease, and when they miss, second chance opportunities keep coming back to hurt Denver. Defending shots in the paint with more aggression, and tenaciously securing defensive boards are two effort-driven elements that eluded the Nuggets in that Pistons-dominated 1st quarter.

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The Nuggets were able to correct this, to some degree, as the game went on.

Upping the defensive energy

Clearly, this team needs to start bringing more defensive energy onto the court right from the start, instead of setting themselves up for long games of playing from behind. Once Will Barton returns, as he is a player built off of effort in general, these early leads should stop coming with such ease for Denver’s opponents.

Barton’s tenacity and ability to spark momentum have been missed, but the good news is that other players have stepped up in his absence, and shown their potential as game-changing players.

Nov 12, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Malik Beasley (25) reacts from the bench during the second half against the Detroit Pistons at Pepsi Center. The Pistons won 106-95. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

“Hit-the-trey Mudiay” and the rise of ‘Gomez

Against the Pistons, Emmanuel Mudiay and rookie Juan Henrnagomez led the comeback charge. Wilson Chandler was a key player in the early second half as well, but Mudiay’s surprisingly efficient shooting (as he went 4-8 from downtown) stole the show.

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Emmanuel’s scoring is looking much improved in all areas, including a huge improvement from last season’s free-throw percentages. He went 3-4 from the line against the Pistons Saturday, and scored a total of 19 points. That is not too shabby.

Along with this, Juan Hernangomez showed is competitiveness coming up with some big effort-driven baskets. He had one particularly impressive put-back tip-in, and displayed his now expected efficiency from three-point land going 1-2. Moving forward, it could be beneficial for the Nuggets to not only play Henrnagomez more, but also to have him take more shots. He seems perfectly comfortable playing against pro’s. and showed a sort of on-court composure that many other Nuggets struggled to maintain on Saturday.

Vintage Gallinari

Danilo Gallinari also gave Nuggets fans reason to look forward with hope, as got back to his basket-attacking roots. This was a pleasant sight to see.

Nov 12, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari (8) shoots the ball against Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (0) and forward Tobias Harris (34) during the first half at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Instead of chucking up jumpers after a couple of pump-fakes, Gallinari was driving to the rim. Sometimes he has a tendency to rely too much on drawing fouls; but for the most part, he had his mind fixed on finishing drives against the Pistons, and often did so. Gallo even through down a nasty reverse tow-handed dunk through contact, delivering the Nuggets’ unchallenged play of the game.

With Gallo not only driving, but finishing too, the Nuggets have a lot to look forward too as an offensive unit. If he can keep it up, then defenses will be much more antsy whenever he gets the ball. This would not only mean more free-throw opportunities for Gallinari, but also more assist-opportunities as well, which is something the Nuggets desperately need.

This team is without a go-to play-maker. Against the Pistons, Gary Harris led the charge with just 4 assists. Emmanuel Mudiay is more of a scorer, and his assist-to-turnover ratio suggests that he spend more time developing his passing game before looking to emulate the likes of Chris Paul and company. If Gallo can continue his work from this loss into the rest of the season, he could likely see a big bump in assist numbers, and become the team’s best play-running option.

Nov 12, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Ish Smith (14) shoots the ball over Denver Nuggets guard Emmanuel Mudiay (0) during the second half at Pepsi Center. The Pistons won 106-95. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Making progress, more energy required

All in all, this game showed some progress from their last. Had the Nuggets started off with the same sort of effort and efficiency that they summoned in the second quarter, then this game might have turned out differently. This is starting to feel like a repetitive statement, as the Nuggets continue to lose in similar fashion.

Hopefully this game has finally left a fire in the hearts of these Denver Nuggets, as they simply must start playing with a collective chip on their shoulders. Emmanuel Mudiay looks like a totally different player compared to the start of the season, and Danilo Gallinari has put his foot in a good direction after Saturday’s loss. But still, until the wins start piling up, every Nuggets’ quarter needs to be played with much more competitiveness and energy.

Watch to see how they come out of the gates in their next game, as their collective energy levels should indicate the future direction of this Nuggets season.

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