Five wins, one loss. This is the record of the Nuggets since the start of the playoffs, and Nikola Jokic’s teammates made an impression by slapping the Suns in the first round. Winner of 18 points, Denver counted up to 25 points in advance! What ring the stars of the Suns, even if their confidence remains intact.
“I still believe in us” reassures Devin Booker. “All year, we have been a good team capable of digesting this kind of match, seeing what went wrong, learning lessons, and making corrections. »
What exactly are these fixes? “We have to play faster, and it depends on me, especially at the start of the match” replies Chris Paul. “We just have to pick up the pace.”
Slow decision making
Same observation with Kevin Durant which is about decision making. “Sometimes you can play a little faster and make quicker decisions. Those milliseconds matter in the NBA because those little openings close quickly. »
Monty Williams does the same analysis. “We have always been good at doing the right reading at the right time. I thought we were late and hesitant. I think we do much better. »
For Josh Okogie, there is also a problem of widening the game in attack, and that makes the work of defense easier. “I found that at times our spacing was not good. This allows the same defender to be on two attackers. They didn’t need to rotate too much. If we are able to find our way of spacing out play, and putting more pressure on the side without the ball, that will force their player at the back to choose a side, and it will be better. »
A sleeping Ayton
Another avenue for improvement, the rebound. The image of a Deandre Ayton, arms dangling, made the rounds of the web. She is symptomatic of a formation that was eaten in its own racket since the Nuggets went for 16 offensive rebounds, including 8 for Jokic alone.
“That’s how you win the title: defense and rebound” Durant reminds. “We have to do better in this area, and I think it starts with me. “Except that all eyes are still on Ayton … “He would tell you himself that it was not at the level” confides Monty Williams. “When you watch the video, it lacked consistency. When he plays with conviction, he sets the tone. He would probably tell you that he could go up three or four levels, but I think the whole team is the same. We’re all a little disappointed.”
What Williams blames Ayton for is his lack of aggressiveness under the Nuggets’ basket. “His search for the rebound was really low. Usually, he is at 60 or 70% rate to go on the rebound. There, it was much lower. He wasn’t the Deandre we know. It was not the Deandre who is a very high level player. When he plays aggressively, he gives energy to the whole team”.
Better defend on Jamal Murray
Finally, there is the defense on Jamal Murray, author of 34 points with a high percentage. This time, it’s Okogie who makes his mea culpa. “I feel like I’m responsible for it. I was the first to defend on him and I didn’t put enough pressure on him. For Ayton, it’s the pick-and-roll playback that hasn’t been good, and he also feels guilty. “It’s true that we didn’t manage to communicate well, especially when Murray was coming off the screens. We were a little hesitant. We weren’t strong. He did a few screen shots, and we changed our approach a bit afterwards. Don’t be discouraged by things like that.”
For Ayton, this Game 1 is an accident, and we will see the best face of the Suns tonight for the second game: “It wasn’t Suns basketball. Usually, we set the tone through defense, and we are the ones who project ourselves forward. There, they are the ones who played like that. We will be a completely different team in the next game. »
