Ranking the Nuggets by Quarter

[NuggetsWY]

https://www.denverstiffs.com/2018/1/16/16896168/denver-nuggets-nba-net-rating-by-quarter-struggles

Interesting stats - article's a decent read.

[THE J0KER]

Code: Select all

#Quarter   Net Rating   Rank
First Quarter    -6.4   25th
Second Quarter   -2.6   20th
Third Quarter   +12.8   2nd
Fourth Quarter   -2.7   20th


In normal circumstances, average team stats by quarters are just some exotic and hardly useful data about team, but "The Curious Case of Denver Nuggets 2017-18 season" is extreme exception of this rule, because I'm pretty sure it never happen in NBA history ever before that 2nd best team in most competitive 3rd quarter is 20+ ranked in all other quarters!? Third quarter is most competitive quarter because most of the time there playing starters of both teams, and average stats of more important 4th quarter are always widely corrupted by "garbage times" impact of teams periodic blowout wins or losses and extreme efforts to overturn/hold results in very tied matches.

So how on Earth same team can be so good in the most competitive 3rd quarter, but at the same time so mediocre (#20+) in all other quarters, including league-worst TOP5 in the 1st quarter where players/minutes schedule for all teams is very similar with a 3rd quarter? I have no idea!

It makes some sense that coaches intentionally have cold start saving players energy for 2nd half or/and force them to do max at the start of the 2nd half to try to decide winner earlier if they not trust young team how they will finish close match even vs bad teams. But such extreme difference from worst-5 to 2nd-best have no sense at all. Denver is #23 team by NetRating if we exclude 3rd quarter. Worst team in the league Atlanta and 2nd worst on West Dallas are better.

I can understand we manipulate with players energy and schedule, but still, from split standings is obvious that:
- Denver must significantly to improve how they start matches this season (aka 1st quarters)
- Denver must significantly to improve how they play road matches this season (at least vs weak teams)