There are indications that internal tensions are developing inside the Denver Nuggets — a team now going through a three-game losing streak. One of the franchise’s pillars, Michael Porter Jr., recently expressed his displeasure at coach Michael Malone’s choice to sit him out of the fourth quarter of their loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.
MPJ feels that he ought to have contributed more than the 22 seconds of the fourth quarter that he actually did. Malone decided to start Christian Braun in the final quarter despite Porter’s great performance of 23 points in 23 minutes on 9 of 12 shooting despite the team’s shoddy defense.
Michael Porter Jr. steps back and is up to a career-high 23 PTS on 10-11 shooting.@nuggets 103@Pacers 98 pic.twitter.com/Sc4FMCIScm
— NBA (@NBA) January 3, 2020
Porter has occasionally displayed signs that he may be a strong defender, but this year, his defensive box plus/minus has been negative. Some may have found Malone’s decision to put emphasis on defense above offense puzzling, but he was attempting to address the team’s defensive issues.
How did the game go, Nuggets vs Nets?
The Nuggets played well against the Nets in the first half, but a combination of poor offense and defense caused their eight-point halftime lead to turn into an 11-point deficit by the end of the third quarter. The fourth-quarter lineup of Braun, Aaron Gordon, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Bruce Brown by Malone appeared to be his attempt to turn the team’s fortunes around.
If Porter had played more in the fourth quarter, it’s uncertain how the game would have finished. Nonetheless, his disagreement with the choice is a hint that there may be team strife. Porter will undoubtedly play a big part in the Nuggets’ effort to turn things around and pick up steam before the playoffs start.
Porter will need to get better at squeezing opponents if he wants to stay on the court and establish a rhythm. The rookie forward may have gotten a wake-up call from Malone’s decision because the team needs him to contribute on both ends of the court.
Are the Denver Nuggets Still Championship Contenders Despite Internal Conflict and Recent Losing Streak?
The Denver Nuggets are still in first place and the favorites to win the Western Conference title despite a recent three-game losing skid. They have kept their lead in the conference standings with a record of 46 victories and 22 losses.
This season, the Nuggets have been among the most reliable teams in the NBA thanks to the MVP-caliber play of their top player Nikola Jokic. They have also benefited greatly from the efforts of Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Michael Porter Jr…
The Nuggets have demonstrated that they have the skills and experience necessary to compete at the highest level, despite the fact that their recent losing run may have caused some anxiety. There is no doubt that they are still one of the best teams in the league and a serious title candidate, but they will need to fix their defensive issues and find a way to pick up their momentum going into the playoffs.
