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Denver Nuggets: The Key to Defending MVP-Candidate James Harden
The Denver Nuggets will face an almost impossible task on Friday night. They must find a way to shut down James Harden or face a two-game losing streak.
Fourth in the league in scoring and first in the league in assists? The Rockets and their sensational point guard James Harden will travel to the Mile High after a tiring double OT victory in Golden State. The Denver Nuggets should be nicely rested since they haven’t played since Wednesday.
Ultimately, this game will not come down to how tired the Rockets are. This game will come down to how well the Denver Nuggets execute against the Houston Rockets pick-and-roll. The Golden State Warriors allowed Harden to demolish them last night as he posted a hefty triple-double to the tune of 29 points, 15 rebounds, and 14 assists.
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The Nuggets do not have Kevin Durant, who posted 39 points last night, so they will have to rely more upon stopping Harden than outscoring him. With that mighty task before them, how might they accomplish it?
Here is a vine from the game last night showing just how lethal Harden is.
#MVP @seth_orlemann @bbarlow97 https://t.co/WPyujZZ8XH
— Nathan Beighle (@NathanBeighle) December 2, 2016
He notices the pick-and-roll, and he also sees a slacking Draymond Green, so Harden spots up for a lethal jumper in double overtime. The Warriors, if Green would have played higher on Harden, could have perfectly defended that with Kevin Durant just switching onto Harden.
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The Denver Nuggets have the pieces to defend Harden, but Coach Malone must play them. Harden and Capela or Anderson are lethal in the pick-and-roll, so which Nuggets would be able to successfully matchup against it?
The lineup that I would suggest is Mudiay-Murray-Barton-Chandler-Arthur. This lineup would be able to switch on everything. It is the same way that the Cavaliers slowed down the Warriors offense in last years finals. The big and physically-gifted Mudiay is probably the best option for Denver against Harden since they do not have defensive mastermind Gary Harris.
The problem with Jokic or Nurkic is that they can not switch. Darrell Arthur, who is a surprisingly athletic defender, could step up on Harden and potentially cause more problems for him than Jokic or Nurkic.
Allowing the pick-and-roll could be devastating for the Nuggets especially against such a sniper like James Harden. The Nuggets can pull a win out, but they must execute flawlessly against the pick-and-roll.
James Harden, after the win last night, said that the Rockets can compete with anyone. That statement should make this game that much more important for the Nuggets. This battered teams needs a good team win to get back on the right direction.
Slowing James Harden down is a difficult task, but the Nuggets have the pieces and the minds to do conquer this task.
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