Golden State Warriors

Besides the Warriors being the best team in the NBA, these games will be crucial trials by fire for the Nuggets’ defense. Last year, the Nuggets played against the Warriors four times, splitting the series. Surprisingly, the Warriors’ points per game dipped three and a half points compared to their league average against the Nuggets.

However, the Nuggets were one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA last season with a 108.8 defensive rating, good for 26th in the league. The Nuggets haven’t added anyone in this offseason that looks to make a significant defensive impact on the team so they will be hoping for a large jump internally.

Gary Harris and Paul Millsap are the Nuggets’ two best defenders but those two likely won’t be enough to contend with the high powered Warriors. Harris can only defend the one and two and Millsap’s quickness could be waning. Denver will have to rely on some previously unheralded wings to evolve into valuable three and D contributors if they want to beat teams like Golden State.

Maybe it is a player like Torrey Craig, a wing who has shown some solid defensive potential or a more established player like Will Barton making a huge impact on both sides against the juggernaut Warriors.

If Denver wants to contend with modern offenses in the postseason especially, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray will need to make a drastic improvement on the defensive side of the ball. The immense talent and motion of some of the top offenses in the league will be the main hurdle Denver has to leap over and the Warriors are the ultimate test.

Next Up: Matchup 1