The Denver Nuggets are finally seeing their luck turn around, and it's all thanks to a clean bill of health. For a while, injuries were the team's kryptonite, with key players like Nikola Jokic missing significant time. Even Peyton Watson, who stepped up in the lineup, found himself sidelined.
But now, the Nuggets are back at full strength, and it's showing on the court. With Watson's return, the second unit has a fresh look, and the team is firing on all cylinders. As the playoffs loom, could health be the secret weapon the Nuggets have been waiting for?
Aaron Gordon's return 11 games ago marked a turning point. Initially, the team struggled to find their rhythm, suffering a tough home loss to the Knicks. However, over the past 10 games, the Nuggets have become an offensive powerhouse, leading the league in scoring.
They're putting up an impressive 127.4 points per game, surpassing the 125.1 average from their brief healthy stint back in November.
Coach David Adelman is making the most of his fully stocked roster. With everyone back, he's been able to experiment with new rotations, particularly a small-ball lineup that's been a revelation.
This unit, now possible with Watson's return, has been a game-changer. Deployed at the start of the second and fourth quarters, it’s been effective in the non-Jokic minutes.
Watson himself has been on fire, scoring 14 and 21 points in his first two games back, and the Nuggets have gone 4-0 with this lineup.
Tim MacMahon highlighted on the "Brian Windhorst and the Hoop Collective" podcast that last year, when the Nuggets were healthy, they pushed a series to seven games against the Thunder. Health has been the big question mark, but now that it’s resolved, the Nuggets are showing their true potential. They’re on a four-game winning streak, their first since mid-January, and their scoring surge is a promising sign.
With a 7-3 record over the last 10 games, and two of those losses coming down to the wire against the Lakers and Thunder, the Nuggets are just a few bounces away from an even more impressive run. The only blemish was a tough road loss to Memphis, but that was more about scheduling than anything else.
As the regular season winds down, the Nuggets' newfound health could be the key to unlocking their playoff dreams. It’s time to capitalize on this momentum and make a deep run when it matters most.