10/18 Utah Jazz vs. Denver Nuggets: Keys to the Game

Key #1 – Stifle Denver’s Offensive Attack

Although the Denver Nuggets struggled with consistency last year and had a basically non-existent defense, there’s no denying their ability to score and score in bunches. They finished third in the league in scoring at 111.7 points per game and boasted the fifth best offensive rating. Denver also played at the league’s seventh fastest pace, averaging 100.7 possessions per contest.

Beyond that, the Nuggets were also a top-10 team in fast break points at 14.2 per game. This is especially impressive given that Denver finished dead last in points off of turnovers, meaning that their points in transition didn’t exactly come off of opponents’ miscues, but rather from a relentless focus on pushing the pace at every opportunity.

Therefore, the Jazz will need to be prepared to get back on defense and do everything they can to fluster Denver’s offensive attack. The Nuggets are far from a grind-it-out kind of team, so if the Jazz can turn the game into a bit of a slog-fest by stalling Denver’s offense and throwing them out of their rhythm, they should put themselves in a great position to win the game.

Make no mistake about it, the Nuggets are going to look to run and get as many easy baskets as possible as they fire shots at will, but if Utah’s presumed stellar defense is up to the task, then it’s unlikely that a trigger-happy Denver team that puts up little resistance on the opposite end of the floor will be able to outmatch the Jazz.

Particularly in the season’s home opener, I predict that the Jazz will come out with plenty of energy, thus they should be able to slow Denver’s offensive attack and stifle their typical offensive production. In Utah’s two wins over the Nuggets last season, Utah held them under 100 points whereas in the two losses, Denver put up 103 and 105 points.

That makes it pretty clear that victory will hinge almost completely on neutralizing Denver’s prolific offense – a task that unfortunately is much easier said than done, especially considering the Nuggets’ purported improvements heading into the 2017-18 season.