December 14th 2024.
The Denver Nuggets had a challenging week ahead of them with a long gap in their schedule, but they found a unique way to utilize their time - by traveling back in time. How far back, you ask? Well, that depends on who you ask. Coach Michael Malone believed that their recent struggles with rebounding called for a look back at the preseason. On the other hand, rookie Julian Strawther had a different perspective, thinking in terms of years instead of months.
Strawther compared the experience to a throwback to his middle school days, where the focus was on finding your opponent and boxing them out. It may have seemed like a step back, but it was exactly what the team needed. As they reached the quarter mark of the regular season, the Nuggets realized the importance of reinforcing their fundamentals. Coach Malone shared how they had been practicing rebounding drills, almost like going back to training camp. It was a throwback to the 1945 John Wayne film "Back to Bataan," a reference that may have been lost on his young players, but the message was clear - they needed to focus on the basics.
The team responded well, dominating the boards with a 46-31 rebounding advantage over the Clippers. They also only allowed five offensive rebounds, a significant improvement compared to the 34 they had allowed in their previous two games. The Nuggets understood the importance of defensive rebounds, especially since it was impacting their overall performance. In the past 16 games, they were averaging 88 field goal attempts but allowing 94. This meant they were not getting enough opportunities to score and were often out-attempted by their opponents.
Rebounding was not the only issue; the team also struggled with starting games on a strong note. They had only led in eight games this season, and it was a cause for concern. The players and coaches acknowledged that it came down to effort and being more proactive rather than reactive. Rookie Peyton Watson shared how the team had a hard week of self-reflection, looking at themselves and trying to figure out how they could be a better team.
One of the solutions was going back to basics, even if it meant doing drills that they had not done since their youth. This was a sentiment shared by Michael Porter Jr., who mentioned how they had never done rebounding drills in December of an NBA season before, but he believed it was essential for their growth as a team. In practice, the atmosphere was intense, and it was a collective effort by the players to hold each other accountable and push each other to be better.
It was evident that the Nuggets had hit rock bottom in their game against the Wizards, where they lost to a team that had been on a 16-game losing streak. Coach Malone was frustrated with their lack of effort and how they failed to anticipate long rebounds on long shots. It was a lesson he had learned while playing Catholic Youth Organization basketball, and it was a reminder that even at the professional level, the basics were crucial.
In the end, the Nuggets realized that no matter how experienced or talented they were, they could always benefit from going back to their youth and focusing on the fundamentals. As Strawther put it, "at the end of the day, it's all about basketball and how can you win games." And sometimes, that means going back to the basics and doing rebounding drills to improve their performance on the court.
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