Golden State Warriors: Are the Denver Nuggets a legitimate threat?

In a potential future playoff matchup, the Denver Nuggets defeated the Golden State Warriors 100-98 on Sunday, October 21.

It’s obviously too early into the season to ask, “Are the Denver Nuggets a legitimate threat to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference?” However, it is fair to ask, do they have what it takes to win 4 games out of 7?

Let’s consider the history.

The Golden State Warriors have dominated the league since the 2014-15 season, in which they took the league by surprise by winning their first title in 40 years. Since then, they have reached the NBA Finals for four consecutive seasons and are currently back-to-back NBA champions.

The Dubs have dominated through regular seasons for three seasons until last year when the team suffered an injury to all of their star players. Their dominance, however, was not always imposed on every team in the league.

In the 2016-17 season, the Warriors dropped a couple of games to San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies. The Warriors were obviously not trying to win 73 games in the past two years, but those two teams had a few things in common.

San Antonio boasted supreme perimeter defense with Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green. Memphis Grizzlies also had good perimeter defense with Mike Conley and Tony Allen in their backcourt.

Furthermore, their point guards Tony Parker and Mike Conley were both not the quickest point guards in the league, but they both excelled at controlling the pace of the game. Both teams also had a formidable frontcourt. While San Antonio had Tim Duncan and Pau Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies had Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol.

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So it seems as if the keys to playing against Golden State Warriors are (1) good perimeter defense, (2) a point guard who can control the pace of the game, and (3) offensively skilled frontcourt duo. If the past is any indication of what is to come, this may be the best way to take down the Warriors.

Now let’s look at the Denver Nuggets team this year if they have what it takes to square up against the Dubs.

Denver Nuggets’ point guard Jamal Murray does not jump out of the stat sheet, but he is a decent starting guard. He rarely turns the ball over, averaging only 1.4 turnovers per game this season so far.

Their frontcourt is more than formidable. Paul Millsap and improved Nicola Jokic are one of the best big man duos in the league this season.

Of course, their perimeter defense is not at an elite level. In contrast, their best defenders are in their frontcourt; Paul Millsap and Nicola Jokic.

Will Barton is a good defender, but the next best defender on the perimeter is Trey Lyles from the bench. Unfortunately, low shooting percentage makes him unplayable against good teams, and definitely not against the Warriors.

Considering Paul Millsap’s versatility, their perimeter is not bad in any measure. If Trey Lyles can get his shooting touch from last year back as the season progresses, the will play more minutes and their defense can get significantly better.

When that happens, their threat to the Warriors in the Western Conference can be very real. The only thing left will be for them to figure out if they match the Golden States’ firepower.