After three days off from preseason competition following their 107-105 loss to the Golden State Warriors, the Denver Nuggets are back home to wrap up their preseason schedule with two matchups against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Denver will only have three preseason games to iron out the rotation and get the new players integrated into its system. Luckily for the Nuggets, with both of their final preseason games being played at Ball Arena and the team opening up the regular season with three-consecutive games in Denver, the team doesn’t have to factor in travel and can potentially enjoy more practice time as a result.
Saturday’s preseason debut saw some impressive performances for the Nuggets, led by Nikola Jokić. The Serbian big man looked to be in regular-season form with 26 points, 10 rebounds and five assists on 9-of-11 shooting from the field. Facundo Campazzo also stood out with his tenacious defense and difficult shot-making.
For Portland, the hope is that an impressive offseason can fix issues on the defensive end of the floor that sunk the team during the 2019-20 campaign. Although the Trail Blazers finished the regular season ranked third in offensive rating, the team was just 35-39 as a result of several key injuries and their 27th-ranked defense.
However, the Trail Blazers added Robert Covington and Derrick Jones Jr. to provide defense on the wing. Plus, the full return of Jusuf Nurkić should help down low. Portland also added Harry Giles III and traded for Enes Kanter to shore up their frontcourt depth.
Here are three areas to focus on in Wednesday’s contest.
Can Porter Jr. bounce back?
It’s no secret Saturday’s game against Golden State wasn’t a great start to the 2020-21 season for Michael Porter Jr. The 22-year-old forward shot 3 of 12 from field on his way to scoring just seven points in 23 minutes of action. Although Porter Jr. chipped in with seven rebounds, he also committed five fouls in his limited playing time.
It’s likely that Porter Jr. will continue to start as he did on Saturday, which presents him with a great opportunity to take advantage of the attention Jamal Murray and Jokić generate on their own. At the same time, the sophomore forward can also create advantages for Murray and Jokić through the attention that he commands as a shooter and cutter.
For a Nuggets team that is banking on internal improvement to drive a large portion of their success this season, Porter Jr. will be relied on to be a consistent presence each and every game. A matchup against a Portland team that can throw quality wing defenders at him in the form of Covington and Jones Jr. should be a nice test for Porter Jr. heading into the regular season.
New faces, same division rivalry
Yes, both teams added several new players to their rotations during the offseason, but the mainstays of this division rivalry are the same. Headlined by Murray and Jokić on one side and Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum on the other, these two teams are every familiar with one another.
During the 2018-19 season, Portland and Denver faced off 11 times, including Denver’s tough defeat in Game 7 of the conference semifinals. However, the Nuggets have enjoyed plenty of regular-season success against Portland in recent seasons, owning an 8-2 record in the past 10 matchups.
While the stars are the same on both sides, the changes in the rotation could make the difference. Portland is hoping that their offseason additions can shore up their defense as their two lead guards drive another top-10 offense. Meanwhile, Denver’s notable additions in Campazzo and Green provide steady presences on both ends of the floor to surround the team’s growing young core.
Can Denver generate more 3-pointers?
Heading into this season, Nuggets head coach is stressing the importance of Denver’s guards attacking downhill in order to break down the defense and kick out to open shooters. The results were disappointing in the first preseason game, as Denver attempted just 25 attempts from beyond the arc.
However, this Trail Blazers team could be just the opponent to continue emphasizing this offensive gameplan. Through their first two preseason games against the Sacramento Kings, Portland ranks 24th in opponent frequency of 3-point attempts. A staggering 48.6 percent of Sacramento’s total shot attempts came from deep in those two games.
While it’s difficult to truly take much away from two preseason games, Portland was only around league average in preventing 3-point attempts last season, while teams shot lights out against the Trail Blazers from deep to the tune of 38.9 percent.
If Denver continues to focus in on driving to the paint to generate trips to the free throw line or open looks from beyond the arc, two matchups against Portland this week should help get into a rhythm in that regard.
Wednesday’s game will tip at 7 p.m. MT and will air on Altitude TV (Radio: 92.5FM).