Talk to a dozen Nuggets fans right now, and chances are nine of them will voice the exact same worry. They’re fed up with the team’s defense, and many have serious doubts that it will suddenly transform into a playoff-strength unit as the postseason approaches.
That growing frustration was captured perfectly in a recent Twitter poll conducted by Adam Mares. When fans were asked if the Nuggets were even capable of playing good defense, nearly 25% responded with a blunt “no.” Ouch.
Those skeptical voices align closely with what Brian Scalabrine expressed on “The Zach Lowe Show.” The former NBA player and analyst didn’t hold back, stating, “I don’t believe in their defense; therefore, I don’t believe in them.” He added that while he’s a fan of Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets, “I am so down on Denver.”
Although this represents just a portion of the fanbase, it’s a concerning number. The majority of supporters don’t want to see the bandwagon lose passengers before the team sorts things out—if they manage to do so. Because in the NBA playoffs, a lack of defense is not something you can simply fake your way through on the road to a championship.
The Nuggets’ defense has shown occasional flashes of brilliance, but it has mostly been porous and inconsistent.
Scalabrine highlighted the team’s lack of physicality, and that weakness was glaringly exposed against the Utah Jazz. Denver allowed a staggering 84 points in the paint—the most the franchise has surrendered since the 1996-97 season. It turned into a virtual layup line, with the Jazz getting easy buckets at will. The Nuggets barely escaped with a 135-129 victory, thanks to a clutch 21-5 run to close out the game.
Yet, there have been standout moments when the Nuggets looked like an elite defensive squad. They held the Rockets to just 93 points and limited the Boston Celtics—the league’s second-best offense with a rating of 119.3—to a mere 84 points.
The Nuggets need to get physical and generate consistent stops
It can clearly be done. But consistency is the key. Scalabrine put it plainly: “I’m saying when you try, and you still can’t get stops, that’s a problem.”
He may have lost faith in Denver’s defense, but the solution starts with ramping up the physicality. That means getting hands and limbs active in passing lanes, putting bodies on opponents in the paint, stepping up into cutting lanes, or whatever adjustments the coaching staff identifies as priorities.
It’s not that the Nuggets are incapable of playing defense—they just haven’t done it reliably enough. Encouragingly, they’ve found some rhythm in non-Jokic minutes and with the small-ball lineup that has emerged since Peyton Watson’s return. Nuggets fans are now hoping the defense clicks into gear over the final stretch of the regular season. With just seven games remaining, there’s still time—but the clock is ticking.