| 12 December 2009
(Denver-CO) The good news for the Nuggets is they're coming home after dropping two very winnable games on the road. Additionally, they will be playing the Suns tonight on the tail end of back-to-back games with Phoenix having pulled out a hard fought victory last night against the Orlando Magic, 106-103.
And... a little birdie told me that Kenyon Martin is going to play tonight after missing the last two games with a very sore dislocated pinkie on his left hand which may just be the best news the Nuggets could have hoped to have heard. Denver is 0-4 with Martin out of the line up this season and suffers greatly in the toughness department without him.
As for the Phoenix Suns... they're almost a mirror of our Nuggets. They're 16-7 overall, average 108 points per game, 41 total rebounds per game, block about five shots per game, average above 20 assists per game, and allow more than 100 points per game - JUST LIKE THE NUGGETS!
Here's the BIG difference:
The Suns are a very deep and big team. They have the 6'-10"Amare Stoudemire back playing near All-Star form, the seven-foot, second-year big man, Robin Lopez, 6'-11" Channing Frye is averaging double digit points on the season, 6'-11" Jarron Collins is also available, and the 6'-9" front range product Louis Amundson has found his niche with solid averages of nearly five points and five rebounds on the season.
As for the Nuggets... let's just say they're not very deep. Denver has only been playing (when Kenyon Martin is healthy) eight players on most nights. This has been one of my main concerns so far this season, especially in the front court. Chris Andersen is essentially Denver's only front court reserve with the likes of Renaldo Balkman, Malik Allen, and Johan Petro only seeing playing time in situations when George Karl has no other choice but to play them. And who can blame him? The three combined are averaging less than five points, barely five rebounds, and not even a single block on the season thus far making them Denver's version of Basketball Handicappers. Only, not like the good kind over at Doc's Sports.
So, even while Phoenix may be tired on the second night of back-to-back games, I am little bit worried with their depth and size - and that's not even mentioning their talent level. Steve Nash is once again leading the league in assists at a nightly clip of 11.3 dimes and the Suns have nearly seven players averaging double digit point totals (to be fair, Jared Dudley is averaging 9.2 ppg).
However, if there is one aspect that Denver can take away from the Suns that increases their chances of victory tremendously it would Steve Nash's assists. In wins, the former two-time MVP is averaging more than 13 assists per game, but in losses that number is nearly cut in half. As Nash goes, so do the Suns as evidence of Steve's assist total dropping to an average of seven dimes per game in Phoenix's seven losses.
Now, if I was the coach of the Denver Nuggets I would make it a point to do two things in tonight's game. The first is whoever has Steve Nash on them defensively must make him either foul or concede points at the rim. Do not just settle for jump shots if you see Nash anywhere near a direct path to the goal and be ready to dish off to the open man when help defense steps up. Running a high pick and roll on him in hopes of getting a favorable switch wouldn't be a bad idea either (I'm dreaming of seeing Carmelo Anthony coming up to set a screen for Chauncey Billups and Nash having to switch on 'Melo). The second is to absolutely hound him on the other end of the floor. Ty Lawson, Chauncey Billups, Arron Afflalo, and J.R. Smith need to be extremely physical with the smaller Nash while trying to knock him off the spots he wants to pass from while toeing a thin line that keeps Nash off the free-throw line where he is shooting 95% on the season.
It's as simple as that, Nuggets Nation. Take Nash down, and you take down the Phoenix Suns.
Go Nuggets!
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