The Denver Nuggets have an issue — they continue to struggle in the first half of games. This is becoming a continuous issue that will bite them later in the season, especially in the playoffs. The underlying problem that is the cause of their flat first-half struggles is their lack of effort in starting games. For them to be successful and be the threat they want to be in the strong Western Conference, they must begin games stronger.
Denver Nuggets Continue to Struggle in First Half
Poor Energy on Both Sides of Court
The Nuggets have opened the season with a 115.5 offensive rating, good enough for seventh in the NBA. They also have a respectable defensive rating of 113.7, currently 17th in the league. Their net rating of 1.8 is just outside the top ten in the association. Overall, their offensive and defensive ratings are good, but not great. That is because of their horrific starts to games. Their offensive rating is only 111.0 in the first half (17th in the league) and their defensive rating is a miserable 120.0, second to last among all teams. With an awful first-half net rating of -9.0 (28th in the league), it forces the Nuggets to come from behind in nearly every game. They must have great offensive performances while being stout on defense in the second half of games to win.
The Nuggets’ efficiency on offense is not the reason they have problems in the first half, as they are in the top ten of FG% and 3P%. The problem is they allow their opponents to shoot 50.6% in the first half, which is the worst of all teams. Their defense has been lazy and porous. They must increase their efforts in the first half of games to give themselves some breathing room and prevent big deficits. They are putting themselves in bad situations to where they need increased efforts in the second half to have a chance to win.
Requires More Reliance on the Starting Lineup
It is no secret that the Nuggets’ starting lineup is asked to perform at a high level every game. Their workload is among the highest in the NBA as four starters are within the top 32 players in minutes per game. Nikola Jokić has led the way for the Nuggets averaging a triple-double and powering the Nuggets to a 10-7 record despite only leading at halftime in four games. He averages 37.3 minutes per game, fifth in the NBA and a career-high. The Nuggets will need to lower his minutes per game to keep him fresh for a deep playoff push. Starting games poorly is the opposite of what they need.
The Nuggets are already without Aaron Gordon, who has been sidelined with a calf injury. Without Gordon, the Nuggets have leaned more on their youth to step up and replace his production. They have answered that call and helped the Nuggets win six of the ten games that Gordon has missed. Despite the youth playing well, they are also a part of the effort issue that causes the Nuggets’ first-half collapses. Without Jokić on the court, the Nuggets often look lost and unable to create offense or guard their opponent.
Bringing the Second-Half Energy to the First Half
Despite the Nuggets’ poor first-half performances to start the season, their second-half performances have allowed them to stay above .500. If it weren’t for their first-half struggles, the Nuggets would be well over .500 and up near the top of the Western Conference. In the second half, the Nuggets completely flip the script and look like the contenders they want to be. They jump from 17th in offensive rating in the first half to fifth in the second half. What is more impressive is their defensive rating jumps from 29th to fourth. The Nuggets lock in when they need to, but they must learn to stay locked in for all 48 minutes.
