The message from the Denver Nuggets throughout the summer and offseason was they were going to play to their roster’s strengths. Coach Michael Malone and Tim Connelly weren’t about to try and emulate the Golden State Warriors’ 3-point attack or any new NBA trend. They were essentially going to zig, while everyone else zagged.
Tonight, in the Nuggets 108-106 preseason victory over the Toronto Raptors, we saw a glimpse into what that zigging might look like. Denver started their twin-towers look; Nikola Jokic at the four and Jusuf Nurkic at the five, something they’ve talked about doing at length this offseason, and a lineup that strictly goes against the modern-NBA line of thinking.