[Game] Kings @ Denver Nuggets, 2/28/2024, 6:00p PT/9:00p ET

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

I get that we're in complain about the defense mode but despite garbage time pushing the percentages back up to being moderately not embarrassing, not many teams win games shooting sub-40 from the field and sub-35 from three.

Perhaps but, all things being equal, a team that plays hard on defense 90 percent of the time, but only shoots well 60 percent of the time is preferable to the other way around. YMMV.

 

[SacTownKid]

To be honest, I don't think the Kings played that poorly on defense tonight. At a certain point, their offense was so inept that there was like a three minute stretch was either a live ball turnover or a missed shot that allowed the Nuggets to just play pickup ball on the fastbreak. When it came to defending the Nuggets standard actions, the Kings looked pretty much like they have against them all season.

Yeah, the Kings defense isn't going to fall apart without Fox. The offense went poof for sure though. The issue on defense is the Brown Dubs defense is one based on playing the middle of the percentages. When teams don't hit the shots you openly give them it's not bad, but when they do, it's horrible. It's a very "safe" type of defense where you retreat to the highest percentage areas inside. In the playoffs I'm sure they'll return to aggressive pressure defense.

 

[Tetsujin]

I don’t buy it. That’s garbage time with none of the Nuggets starters in. What would have been better is if Brown made him the central part of the offense like he was in the 1st quarter / start of 2nd. This was the best opportunity without Fox to post him up, do things he can’t do with Fox on the floor. We instead let Monk take the majority of the shots when we already know what we have with him.

Meh, the Nuggets still had Braun and Watson in there (their two 3-and-D young wings) and as good as I think Keegan will eventually be I don't think we should be force-feeding him possessions when the game is actually in reach just for the sake of getting him reps. This isn't like 5 years ago or so the we could just throw the game plan out the window because we weren't particularly interested in winning the game in the first place.

 

[Tetsujin]

Yeah, the Kings defense isn't going to fall apart without Fox. The offense went poof for sure though. The issue on defense is the Brown Dubs defense is one based on playing the middle of the percentages. When teams don't hit the shots you openly give them it's not bad, but when they do, it's horrible. It's a very "safe" type of defense where you retreat to the highest percentage areas inside. In the playoffs I'm sure they'll return to aggressive pressure defense.

The thing is that the Nuggets weren't even particularly hot from three tonight though. The Kings were just insanely bad from the perimeter in comparison. Also Jamal Murray could put all his effort into scoring because he only had to worry about defending Davion on defense instead of Fox.

 

[Tizzy Flip]

Meh, the Nuggets still had Braun and Watson in there (their two 3-and-D young wings) and as good as I think Keegan will eventually be I don't think we should be force-feeding him possessions when the game is actually in reach just for the sake of getting him reps. This isn't like 5 years ago or so the we could just throw the game plan out the window because we weren't particularly interested in winning the game in the first place.

Well Heat did it with Jacquez without Butler. And he was as much a central point of their offense as Bam was when they beat us. And he’s a rookie! We got to get away from this hand holding philosophy that hinders more than helps with these kids’ development

 

[SacTownKid]

I don’t buy it. That’s garbage time with none of the Nuggets starters in. What would have been better is if Brown made him the central part of the offense like he was in the 1st quarter / start of 2nd. This was the best opportunity without Fox to post him up, do things he can’t do with Fox on the floor. We instead let Monk take the majority of the shots when we already know what we have with him.

The post is such a missing part for Keegan. I have no idea why Mike Brown doesn't go there. Although he has basically said he doesn't call plays very often and that would require him to set it up but still. So many teams put small guards on Keegan and it can be exploited.

 

[Tetsujin]

Well Heat did it with Jacquez without Butler. And he was as much a central point of their offense as Bam was when they beat us. And he’s a rookie! We got to get away from this hand holding philosophy that hinders more than helps with these kids’ development

The Heat were also playing without a point guard who played in their system for longer than a week and their best player so they didn't really have enough pieces out there to run a system with.

 

[SacTownKid]

The thing is that the Nuggets weren't even particularly hot from three tonight though. The Kings were just insanely bad from the perimeter in comparison. Also Jamal Murray could put all his effort into scoring because he only had to worry about defending Davion on defense instead of Fox.

Yeah, but it's all based on averages. This defense bounces from one end to the other success wise possession to possession. It's the old chicken and egg thing, is a wide open shot that's missed evidence of good defense? Or is a tough, challenged shot that goes in? I get letting players who can't hit the broad side of a barn on average get those but the Kings overly help off into the paint and simply do not have the quickness and size to run back out. Once a wide open 3 is there the Kings scramble, and without that size good luck stopping the ensuing 3 passes.

 

[Tizzy Flip]

The Heat were also playing without a point guard who played in their system for longer than a week and their best player so they didn't really have enough pieces out there to run a system with.

So they can still develop their rook who showed up in a big way and still beat us. Without multiple starters. Hmmm

 

[Tetsujin]

So they can still develop their rook who showed up in a big way and still beat us. Without multiple starters. Hmmm

I'm saying that they literally had no other options but to feed the ball to JJJ lest they try running the entire offense through Delon Wright, who was only with them for a week.

 

[NewArena]

Thankfully the Pelicans and Mavs can’t get right. Get Fox back and let’s go on a run

 

[megapoxy]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1763077798044811479

 

[serbiangoat]

Hopefully both teams are healthy when they face each other in the playoffs. All 4 games been ruined by key injuries or the Nuggets playing on a back to back.

 

[joemama]

Remember (last year) when we were good at offense?

 

[Srzly]

The coaches deserve blame for last night and I think I heard that Sabonis sort of alluded to the defensive game plan not being effective. I’d have to go back and listen.

We kept trying ineffective soft doubles—or whatever it was supposed to be—and I couldn’t understand what we were trying to do, but it kept leaving 1 king defender guarding 2 players and we got burned over and over by it.

Or we kept allowing easy mismatches. There was no adjustment until it was way too late and every Denver player was red hot and confident in every shot.

 

[SLAB]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1763077798044811479

Vibes immaculate.