Denver Nuggets: 3 big questions following 2019 NBA All-Star break

2. Can their defense return to early-season form?

At the beginning of the season, the Nuggets were one of the top five defenses in the NBA. Since Dec. 1, though, they have fallen off, and it doesn’t appear to be getting any better, especially if the aforementioned Thomas plays a good number of minutes. If Gary Harris is able to get back sooner rather than later, that might boost them, but they need more than one player to help get them back into the top-10 in defensive rating.

One area they have improved in over the last couple of months is deterring shots at the rim. During the first month and a half of the season, they gave up the fourth-most shots in the NBA from less than five feet at 34 shots per game. Since Dec. 1, they are 20th in that category with only 30.9 shots per game. If they are able to keep that up, their defense will definitely see a boost.

Defense takes somewhat of a back seat during the regular season, but it regains a renewed importance when the playoffs start. Only one team during the last decade has won the title without being ranked in both the top 10 in offensive and defensive rating. That team was the 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers, who required a Herculean effort from LeBron James to do so. If the Nuggets can lock in more on the defensive end, they will have a much better shot in the playoffs.