With less than half the season left, teams will try their best to resolve their issues before the playoffs begin. The Denver Nuggets three-point shooting is an issue — offensively and defensively. The Nuggets have lost their last two games after winning eight of nine and looking like a dominant threat. The three-point differential played a large role in both contests. They made 17 combined threes in the two games compared to 38 for their opponents. They shot a measly 28.8% from three and allowed their opponents to shoot 45.7%. The three-point disparity haunted the Nuggets for those two games while raising a significant concern heading into the remainder of the season.
The Denver Nuggets Three-Point Shooting Woes are an Issue
Must Attempt More Threes
Offensively, the Nuggets are fourth in three-point percentage. Although they excel at shooting the three, they are dead last in three-point attempts per game, shooting 6.5 threes less per game than the league average this season. A team in the top five of three-point percentage should not be shooting the least threes in a three-point-dominated league.
The Nuggets have shooters that can excel at shooting with ample attempts but struggle to get them going. Despite being an elite three-point shooting team, the Nuggets do not have a single player in the top 50 of three-point attempts per game. Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. are the only two Nuggets in the top 125 of attempts despite shooting 37.2% and 41.0%, respectively.
A player shooting 41.0% from three must be in the top 50 of three-point attempts for a team to thrive in today’s NBA. Getting Porter Jr. more involved on offense could give the Nuggets a needed three-point boost. Murray has also shot incredibly well since his poor start to the season. Involving more threes within their offensive game plan could elevate the Nuggets’ offense.
Three-point shooting can make or break a team in certain games. Losing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the offseason lost the Nuggets 4.1 three-point attempts per game at 40.6%. Although it might not sound significant, it can make a difference in some games. Nikola Jokić is currently third in three-point percentage among all players but only takes 4.3 attempts per game. The Nuggets are not a three-point-centric team, but they should not be last in attempts per game as a team.
Limiting Their Opponents From Three
How the Nuggets’ opponents shoot from three has been the largest factor in if the Nuggets win or lose. They have held their opponents to shooting 35.6% from three, tenth among teams. That 35.6% number is significant, as the Nuggets’ winning percentage while giving more or less than that average is vastly different. The Nuggets are 8-12 in the 20 games their opponents shoot above that 35.6% average. In the other 26 games where they hold their opponents under that percentage, they are 20-6.
Despite being solid at holding their opponents to a respectable percentage from three, the Nuggets’ opponents shoot 39.1 threes per game, the sixth-most. They allow 19.4 wide-open threes per game to their opponents, the tenth-worst in the NBA. The Nuggets must sharpen up on closeouts and prevent teams from getting open looks from downtown.
In a three-point-dominant era, limiting teams to fewer three-point attempts is not easy. Allowing 40 threes by an opponent, especially in the playoffs, is a recipe for disaster for the Nuggets. The Nuggets attempt fewer threes than their opponent in nearly every game, but getting on a more level field of attempts would benefit the Nuggets.
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