Nuggets' Pace of Play

[NuggetsWY]

From the earliest days of the Nuggets, even back in the ABA days, we have become accustomed to hearing about the "Mile High Advantage" and the need to be a running team in order to take advantage of the altitude. Our current Nuggets are not a running team. Why? Because the veterans don't like to run any more? Perhaps. Because Nelson & Mudiay are not "fast break oriented guards"? Probably, they will run, but they do tend to walk the ball up court.

One problem with being a team based on fast breaks is that in the playoffs, your opponents have more time to prepare for your game, so the games tend to slow down. It is difficult for a pure "fast break team" to win in the playoffs.

Let's consider though what we have been hearing lately regarding the Nuggets' current/future style of play. What's the most significant thing we've been told? Jokic's passing and how important it is for the other players to move. Why can't the Nuggets take advantage of that altitude by having constant movement on offense? Sure, it tires players out, but with decent depth, they don't have to play as many minutes, especially consecutive minutes. That would be a tremendous advantage in Denver and might translate better into an advantage even on the road, even in the playoffs.