Game 01 : Denver Nuggets (0-0) @ Utah Jazz (0-0)

[THE J0KER]

In the near past road games in Salt Lake City vs our division and conference arch-enemy rival was one of the most competitive peaks of the season. But not anymore due to Jazz's total rebuilding process suddenly starting this summer. In the past, Malone have many shocking upsets vs non-competitive and tanking teams, but this is the opening game of the season, so it would be a little too much for a contender team to be extremely unfocused on the very first game of the season.

But the first real test is coming already on Friday vs defending champions in San Francisco.

[skywalker33]

Nuggets should NEVER expect a game to be a gimme, even the Jazz should be a test for us, especially given our history in Utah.

As for a real test, GSW should give us a better game, but we'll have to see how our chemistry is developing so far.

[THE J0KER]

Never underestimate Malone's ability to underestimate the weakest opponents!

Will Malone ever learn from his own mistakes? Even some basic things, like why he benched the best player Jokic 2 minutes before halftime because of 3rd foul if the opponent leads 20+?? For what is he saving Joker, for garbage time when the opponent goes to 30+ lead?

27-11 rebounds in the first half are scandalous even for Summer League standards.

But Utah is a really bad team, even 53-75 at halftime is not game-over.

[THE J0KER]

Pathetic

[skywalker33]

You jinxed it The Joker....LMAO

Perhaps we're in the Wembanyama Sweepstake

[The Rebel]

Well our bench was **** terrible last night.

Brown is not a good PG, Bones showed last year that he is far better at PG than playing off the ball, so I can totally understand Malone's having Brown as the PG and Bones off the ball.

Jordan struggles to keep up with young active bigs, he has for several years now. NNaji is a young active big, that does well against other young bigs. Of course Jordan is the answer because he had a couple of good preseason games against old slow backup bigs.

I thought Reed looked the worst out of all the potential backup SFs, I can see why Malone insists on playing him.

Braun got in for the 1 play, Brown commits a foul, and Braun gets sat right back down. I am sure that will help his confidence.

Our bench was the problem last night, but it is not due to lack of talent, it is on Malone. You cannot keep guys like NNaji out of the rotation, overplaying a minimum contract 3rd stringer in Reed, with Bones and Brown both playing out of position and expect the bench to be any **** good. I don't understand why Malone cannot see that the bench should be Bones/ Brown/ Braun/ Green/ Nnaji?

[Catchall]

Jazz fan here, coming in peace, or at least mostly in peace. The Jazz are not a good team, and they don't have anyone they can run a coherent offense through. Basically, they can make a couple passes, take a shot or drive hard at the rim. The rest is all hustle. There's no way they should be putting up 75 pts in a half on any team.

I get that it's opening night and the Nuggets are heavily favored against a team they don't know much about. However, the lack of defense last night was pretty glaring. Remember back in the bubble when the Nuggets were giving up something like 128 ppg with the worst defense in the league? That's what Denver looked like last night. You guys need a big defensive wing who rebounds and plays help defense. In the past, you had some guys like Dozier, Grant, Plumlee--just guys with some size and physicality who defend and rebound well for their position. You need to add a couple of them, or it's not going to work.

Cheers.

[skywalker33]

Jazz fan here, coming in peace, or at least mostly in peace. The Jazz are not a good team, and they don't have anyone they can run a coherent offense through. Basically, they can make a couple passes, take a shot or drive hard at the rim. The rest is all hustle. There's no way they should be putting up 75 pts in a half on any team.

I get that it's opening night and the Nuggets are heavily favored against a team they don't know much about. However, the lack of defense last night was pretty glaring. Remember back in the bubble when the Nuggets were giving up something like 128 ppg with the worst defense in the league? That's what Denver looked like last night. You guys need a big defensive wing who rebounds and plays help defense. In the past, you had some guys like Dozier, Grant, Plumlee--just guys with some size and physicality who defend and rebound well for their position. You need to add a couple of them, or it's not going to work.

Cheers.

Wow, are there more in your service, Captain Obvious ??? Enjoy the win, we've struggled mightily in UTAH over the last few years, again just came out flat. Malone appears to have no clue about his team (again ?) we'll be fine. And the most important thing, the Jazz are all that farther from the #1 or #2 draft pick, all we can gleen as a positive here.