NBA Northwest: Nuggets will be no Push Over in the Postseason

The Denver Nuggets have brought excitement back to the NBA with their up-tempo, high-paced offensive attack. The Nuggets are currently sitting in third place in the NBA’s Western Conference and in second place in the Northwest division. Denver trails Oklahoma City by 4 games for second place in the all important conference standings and for first place in the division.

The Nuggets had a 15-game winning streak recently snapped by New Orleans last week, but have won 8 of their past 10 overall.

What has surprised many in the basketball world is the Nuggets have played well this season without having any superstar like a Chris Paul or LeBron James in the lineup. However, the Nuggets have a court general in point guard Ty Lawson and talented players like Andre Iguodala, Daniel Galinari and Kenneth Faried.

There are many reasons why the Nuggets have surged to near the top of the Western Conference. One of those reasons is the team speed thanks to their youth and athleticism. The Nuggets are loaded with players in their mid-twenties and Head Coach George Karl does not figure he needs to rest them, as San Antonio thinks they must rest their veteran 30-somethings.

With their young players, the Nuggets have been able to use a high tempo fast breaking offense off transition to their advantage. The entire team can either drive to the hoop or finish inside, which provides the Nuggets with ample options as their repetitive fast breaks unfold.

Northwest division foe and leader the Oklahoma City Thunder with stars Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant have made themselves a title contender after reaching the NBA Finals last season, but losing to the Miami Heat.

Even though the Thunder once again lead the division and are in second in the conference standings, the Nuggets have beaten the Thunder on three occasions this season. No other NBA team has defeated the Thunder three times this season.

The Nuggets not only shoot often because of their fast breaking transition offense, but they are shooting well as well. At this stage of the season, the Nuggets lead the league in the number of shots attempted.

For the last 54 consecutive games, the Nuggets have outscored their opponents in the paint. The Nuggets never have a problem scoring, as they are currently third in the NBA in scoring. With their up-tempo game the Nuggets are able to create scoring opportunities as well as, if not better than any other team in the league.

The players ultimately tell the story of a team. They are the ones that dribble, pass, score and defend, but without a solid coach, the players will get nowhere. Denver’s Karl gets the best out of his players and has a winning attitude.

Karl, even though the Nuggets are assured of a playoff spot, does not want his players to coast into the postseason. He continues to push them and get the best out of them even though the regular season is winding down.

This attitude of Karl will help the team to remain focus as it enters the playoffs against very strong opponents.