The Denver Nuggets rolled into Phoenix on the second night of a back-to-back, fresh off a frustrating loss to the Spurs - and responded with their most efficient offensive performance of the season. This wasn’t just a bounce-back win. It was a statement.
Denver lit it up from everywhere: 57.9% from the field, 57.9% from beyond the arc, and a scorching 95.1% from the free throw line. All three marks were season highs - and when you’re putting up numbers like that, you're not just winning games, you’re sending a message to the rest of the league.
Efficiency Over Volume - But What If They Had Both?
What makes this performance so intriguing is that it didn’t come from a team that typically overwhelms you with volume. The Nuggets aren’t known for jacking up threes or living at the free throw line.
They’re one of the league’s lowest-volume three-point shooting teams and sit middle of the pack in free throw attempts. But when they do shoot, they make it count.
This season, Denver ranks third in the NBA in three-point percentage at 39.2%, and they’re also third in free throw percentage at 83.6%. That’s elite efficiency.
Saturday night, though, they showed what can happen when they combine that efficiency with a little more volume. The result?
22 made threes - nearly nine more than their season average.
That’s not a fluke. That’s a blueprint.
The Math Game Favors Denver - If They Let It
No, the Nuggets aren’t going to shoot nearly 60% from deep every night. Nobody does. But when you’re already one of the most accurate shooting teams in the league, even a modest bump in attempts can turn good nights into game-breaking ones.
We’re not talking about a drastic overhaul. Four or five more three-point attempts per game - that’s it.
The looks are already there. The shooters are more than capable.
The system, led by Nikola Jokic’s genius-level playmaking, generates high-quality opportunities. It’s just a matter of leaning into those opportunities more often.
More threes mean more variance, yes - but when the floor for your shooting is already this high, the risk is minimal. And the reward? Nights like Saturday, where the offense hums, the scoreboard tilts, and the opposing defense is left scrambling.
Jokic in Control, Everyone Eating
What made the Phoenix win even more impressive was how seamlessly it all fit within Denver’s offensive identity. Jokic didn’t dominate the ball or force his shot - he took just seven attempts, made them count, and let the game come to him. His passing bent the defense in all the right ways, allowing the rest of the roster to feast on open looks.
That’s the version of the Nuggets that’s hardest to beat: the one where Jokic orchestrates, the ball moves freely, and the shooters are in rhythm. When that version shows up - and when they trust the math - Denver doesn’t just look like a contender. They look like a juggernaut.
Proof of Concept
Saturday night’s win wasn’t just a highlight reel - it was a proof of concept. The Nuggets don’t need to change who they are.
They just need to lean a little harder into what they already do well. They’ve got the personnel, the system, and the shooting touch to make every possession a problem for opposing defenses.
If they start dialing up the volume - just slightly - we could be looking at an already elite offense taking the final step toward becoming unstoppable.