Denver Nuggets: Why Modeling Memphis Grizzlies Won’t Work

Denver Nuggets head coach Mike Malone has a nice idea by pushing his team to become better defensively, but believing they’ll become a tough lockdown squad like the Memphis Grizzlies is too great a mental stretch. The Nuggets have a few quality defenders, but are too young in key positions and lack standalone talent on that end.

This summer, as Malone took the reins of the Nuggets, which were 26th in defensive rating and last in free-throw-to-field-goal-attempt ratio allowed, he diagnosed a team that needed a new mentality.

Darrell Arthur, perhaps the Nuggets’ most adept defender, compared Malone’s dictum on the opponent’s half of the floor to that which he experienced while playing for the Grizzlies.

ALSO ON HOOPSHABIT: 50 Greatest NBA Players Not in the Hall of Fame

The 27-year-old power forward told The Denver Post’s Christopher Dempsey:

“It’s a mirror. It’s the exact same thing, what we did in Memphis to what Coach Malone is doing. This is the way I was taught to play. I’m pretty sure it’s the right way to play basketball. He’s doing a great job teaching everyone, not just the young guys. He’s refreshing the older guys on positioning on defense. Offense too. But defense leads to great offense, and we’ve been doing a (heck of a) job in the preseason so far.”

This aligns with what Malone said in August about the team’s identity, telling Dempsey, “What we want the Denver Nuggets to be — a team that defends, a team that gangs rebounds and a team that runs.”

Teaching and building an identity are great, and Nuggets players seem to be buying in.

But approaching the level of Grizzlies’ renowned “grit ‘n’ grind” defense require a few overarching pieces.

More from Denver Nuggets

Attack dogs

The main difference between the Nuggets and Grizzlies is Memphis has elite defenders like Tony Allen and Marc Gasol, whereas Denver possesses a couple smart rotational defenders and a young players in need of development.

Arthur plays skillful defense with tremendous range, capable of guarding screens and patrolling the perimeter. However, he’s only seen 17.8 minutes per game and will only get roughly that amount this year as he stretches it out on both ends.

However, those who play much bigger roles are either too inexperienced or haven’t previously played with enough defensive energy to show they’ll immediately pounce this season.

Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler are both dismal defensively, allowing 110 per 100 possessions for their careers.

Kenneth Faried, who has allowed 104 points per 100 in his four-year career, is as undisciplined working the opponent’s post as anywhere else on the floor. Faried committed 90 shooting fouls last season.

In another Denver Post article by Dempsey, Arthur said he saw Faried showing greater defensive range and effort. “He’s just flying all over the place. And that’s because of what coach is emphasizing with the defense.”

Emmanual Mudiay faces a huge challenge as a rookie since defending point guards is the toughest task in the NBA, especially when the league is experiencing such a boom at the position. Mudiay has potential with his 6’8.5″ wingspan (per Draft Express) and terrific athleticism, but he’ll take time to learn.

That Mudiay is a student of the game is a promising sign. He told Dempsey he spends considerable time watching film, saying, “Because the game is fast … I’m not going to say real fast, but I was making decisions I knew were bad decisions. But now, the more film I’m watching, the more I see, the better it is.”

That film study can help slow the game down for Mudiay as he learns opponents’ tendencies and how to patrol the perimeter.

Jusuf Nurkic may be the brightest hope for the Nuggets. He blocked 2.2 shots per 36 minutes and allowed 101 points per 100 last year. Nurkic, who looks to move into the starting center role, has great defensive awareness.

Malone told Dempsey he wants his big men to clog the paint much better than last year when Denver was one of the worst at giving up high-percentage inside looks, allowing 59.1 percent inside five feet.

Instilling values

Malone stated that the Nuggets want to take away high-efficiency shots that they allowed last year. That includes those near the basket and corner threes.

Also, Malone wants to place discipline over gambling for steals, which he believes diminish team defense.

Detracting from steals is a departure from what the Grizzlies do, force turnovers and turn them into fast-break points.

But for a Nuggets team with few players who gave much on defense in prior seasons, starting by deemphasizing steals is as fundamental as instructing a child to start on training wheels before riding a bicycle in the road.

Oct 2, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Jamal Crawford (11) drives against Denver Nuggets guard Jameer Nelson (1) during the second half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Veteran leadership

The Nuggets need a player who’s willing to enforce order on the defensive end the way Allen does for the Grizzlies.

Denver has seven players on its roster with six or more years of experience, but, as discussed above, many of them were never good defensively. Some of them have given quality effort, as Arthur and Jameer Nelson have throughout their careers. Mike Miller did when he was with the Grizzlies, but wasn’t always effective, particularly when age slowed him in 2013-14.

Nelson and Arthur could serve as serious leaders instructing players and guiding them defensively.

In a veteran leadership profile by CBSSports.com’s Matt Moore, Nelson explains how he tries to wear opponents down defensively through the course of a game and doing little things to make a difference.

He stated the need to adhere to the team’s defensive system, saying, “Defensively, you want to play to your defensive principles. You have to know if a I’m closing out on a shooter, if he likes to go left. If the coach wants the big man to show, my positioning has to be different, even if I get hit by the pick.”

To Nelson, the essence is that every player holds a significant role with the understanding that making individual plays isn’t as important as team success. His wisdom in this regard may help encourage teammates who must defer attackers to other defenders rather than stopping them on their own.

Conclusion

The Nuggets appear to be working hard to improve in an area that was a sore spot under Brian Shaw. But nothing comes quickly, especially for a team with two inexperienced players, Nurkic and Mudiay, in big roles. Nurkic could take a significant step forward, but Mudiay will face growing pains.

Malone has set plenty of goals, like collapsing in the paint and contesting corner threes better. Despite his urgency for improved defense, much work and patience lie ahead in transforming those like Gallinari and Faried into dogged stoppers if they ever hope to approach Memphis’ grind.

Next: 25 Best Players to Play for the Denver Nuggets

More from Hoops Habit