The Denver Nuggets are 11-7 to begin the 2018 season, going on a scorching 9-1 start to open the season, followed by a 2-6 stretch. A lot has been good for this Denver team, but throughout the season, there has been one glaring problem.
The Denver Nuggets have been known for their offense for years. Their fast paced, well run offensive attack has been a problem for opponents. However, this year, the Denver offense started off slow, but as the season has worn on, has picked up.
Even though the offense has improved, there is still a huge problem that Denver just can’t seem to shake. They are having a hard time hitting open shots.
According to NBA.com, a defense is considered “very tight” when a defender is 0-2 feet away from the shooting player, and defense is considered just “tight” when a defender is 2-4 feet away.
A shooter is considered “open” when the defender is 4-6 feet away, and very open when the defender is 6+ feet away.
The Nuggets have experienced a steep drop off in shots that are considered “open” and “wide open”. Over the course of the first 18 games of the season, the Nuggets are shooting just 41.8% from the field on “wide open” shots. That puts them tied for 13th in the league, which isn’t horrible, but when you look at just “wide open” three point shooting, this Denver team is shooting 36.9%, which puts them at 18th in the league.
For comparison, last year, Denver shot 46.6% on wide open shots from the field, which put them 2nd in the NBA. They also shot 41.5% on wide open three pointers, ranking 3rd in the NBA.
They could use that extra 5% of shooting on games such the team has lost by two points such as the Memphis Grizzlies or the Brooklyn Nets.
On “open” shots, Denver is shooting a decent 44.7% from the field, but on open three point attempts, the team is shooting just 32.7%. Denver also struggled with open shots last year, shooting 43.1% from the field and 33.5% from three.
We’ve seen Gary Harris go through games where he can’t get a shot to fall. Jamal Murray, known for his ability to knock down threes, sometimes misses wide open threes that should be hit. Trey Lyles, who is a stretch big, is only shooting 23.7% from three this season. These are players who can make shots, and if they make just one or two more shots a game, it could give Denver a lot of wins in close games that this Nuggets team will have.
The Nuggets have the potential to be an offensive juggernaut.
They aren’t hitting some of their shots, but with the offensive prowess on the team, and returning players such as Will Barton and Isaiah Thomas providing a boost, they should begin making more of their open shots, leading to closer games and more victories.
