The Denver Nuggets have long been known for their offensive brilliance, but this season, they’ve added a surprising twist to their already potent formula: elite three-point shooting. And here’s the kicker - they’re doing it after trading away Michael Porter Jr., arguably their best long-range shooter in recent years.
Despite that move, the Nuggets currently lead the entire NBA in three-point percentage, knocking down a scorching 40.9% from deep. That’s not just good - it’s historically elite.
What’s even more impressive is how widespread the shooting success is. Eight different players - Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon, Cam Johnson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Jalen Pickett, Peyton Watson, and DaRon Holmes - are all shooting over 41.3% from beyond the arc.
Let that sink in for a second. This isn’t just a hot streak from a couple of guys.
This is nearly the entire rotation raining fire from deep. Spencer Jones is right there too, hitting 39.3% of his threes.
That means almost every player getting regular minutes is a legitimate threat from distance.
The only two rotation players not lighting it up from deep? Bruce Brown and Jonas Valanciunas - and even then, they’re barely taking any threes to begin with, combining for fewer than two attempts per game. So defenses can’t exactly sag off them either.
It’s a dream scenario for a team already built around two of the smartest offensive players in the league. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are basketball savants - they read defenses like open books.
Surround them with high-level shooters, and the floor becomes a chessboard where every piece is in perfect position. Jokic can pick apart double-teams with ease, and Murray’s two-man game with Jokic becomes even deadlier when defenders can’t help off the corners.
The Nuggets are passing up good shots for great ones, and it’s showing. Their ball movement is crisp, their spacing is pristine, and their shot selection is disciplined. But here’s the interesting part: even with all that efficiency, they’re only 22nd in the league in three-point attempts per game.
That’s the one area where Denver might be leaving some points on the table. With this kind of accuracy, the math says they could afford to let it fly more often. They’re already 10th in made threes per game, but bumping up the volume - even if it means a slight dip in percentage - could make this offense even more unguardable.
And when you start thinking ahead to the postseason, that added dimension could be critical. Teams like the Spurs and Thunder are built to take away your first and second options. We saw OKC throw everything they had at Jokic last year, trying to shrink the floor and make life miserable for him in the paint.
But if Denver can stretch the floor even more - if they can force elite defenses to respect every shooter on the court - that opens up everything. Jokic gets more room to operate in the post.
Murray gets cleaner looks off the dribble. And the drive-and-kick game becomes a nightmare for opposing rotations.
The Nuggets don’t need to overhaul their identity. What they’re doing is clearly working.
But leaning further into this three-point shooting surge? That could be the final piece that takes their offense from great to downright unstoppable.
They’ve already proven they can thrive without Jokic on the floor, thanks in part to this shooting depth. Now it’s about maximizing that edge - and if they do, the rest of the league better be ready.
Because this version of the Nuggets? They’re a problem.