Adam Mares here, the host of the daily Locked On Nuggets podcast, with your daily Locked On Nuggets newsletter. Each day we bring you the biggest stories about the Nuggets and the NBA, including the hottest links to other stories you need to read. Plus, Josh Lloyd delivers daily fantasy notes to crush your league.
Home and Away
Analysis Michael Malone helped lead the team to the top of the mountain almost 18 months ago. But Nugg Love says certain aspects of his coaching style is costing the team wins right now.
Ranking No. 13. That’s where ESPN has the Nuggets after the first 10 days of the season. Experts also highlighted the addition of Russell Westbrook, praising the veteran’s energy and defense.
Analysis Chris Herring of ESPN+ looks at the Cavaliers, KAT, Morant, and more in an early-season status report.
Must Read Sinful. Diabolical. Those are just a couple of the words The Ringer’s Danny Chau uses to describe LaMelo Ball’s playing style.
League At Large
League at Large
Offensive rebounding is back, baby!
Last week in this space, I briefly mentioned the huge number of whistles we’d seen this season compared to the previous campaign, something that’s since been corroborated by others. But there’s another leaguewide trend worth watching. The NBA is seeing a surge in offensive rebounding — one that I think will stick.
The average offensive rebounding rate sits at 28.9%, the highest for a 10-day sample in the last decade by a mile. After a nadir in offensive rebounding in the late 2010s and early 2020s, the last few seasons have seen rates ticking slowly but surely back up, like a turtle climbing a hill. But nothing in recent history has compared to what we’ve seen in these first 10 days:
Graph by Mike Shearer
So what’s going on? Offensive rebounding used to be considered a double-edged sword. In general, crashing the glass meant giving up more in transition, and for years, the increasingly trendy focus on limiting fast break opportunities (thanks for killing fun, Coach Popovich!) cut off the O-boarding oxygen supply.
But teams are increasingly figuring out how to balance the two in pursuit of winning. Several of last year’s best regular-season teams emphasized window-wiping: New York, Denver, Phoenix, and Boston were all top-11 offensive-rebounding teams. (So were Portland and Utah, to be fair, but teams that struggle to score in more traditional ways often emphasize the offensive glass, too.)
Why are teams hungry to recover their own misses, and how are they doing so? (And don’t forget to click through for the Mildly Interesting Stat of the Week!)
Mike Shearer (@bballispoetry) has written about the NBA full-time since 2021 at various and sundry places. For more from Mike, check out his Substack bestseller, Basketball Poetry, where he uses unnecessary metaphors and the occasional haiku to discuss the NBA’s happenings with an analytical lens.
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Victor Wembanyama’s Early Struggles In Fantasy Basketball
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) works to steal the ball from Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) after he fell to the floor during the second half at Paycom Center.
|Photo by Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
The NBA season is in full swing, and with it comes a slew of injuries and unexpected player performances that can significantly impact your fantasy basketball strategy. Here’s a look at the latest updates and insights to help you navigate these changes.
Key Injury Updates
Scottie Barnes is out with an orbital fracture, sidelining him for at least three weeks. This opens up opportunities for other Toronto Raptors players to step up, potentially offering valuable fantasy pickups.
The New Orleans Pelicans are dealing with injuries to CJ McCollum and Herb Jones. McCollum’s adductor issue and Jones’ shoulder problem could keep them out for multiple games, affecting the Pelicans’ lineup and fantasy prospects.
Player Struggles: Victor Wembanyama and Zion Williamson
Victor Wembanyama’s early-season performance has been underwhelming, especially for those who drafted him high. In a recent game, he took only five shots, raising concerns about his role and usage. While it’s too early to panic, fantasy managers should monitor his situation closely, as his potential remains high.
Zion Williamson is also off to a rocky start, with shooting percentages well below expectations. Despite playing 33 minutes in a recent game, his field goal percentage has been alarmingly low. This could be attributed to lingering effects from an illness, but it’s a situation that requires close attention from fantasy managers.
Click the button below to learn why there’s concern over Jrue Holiday, as well as a possible new streaming option out in Indianapolis.
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Nuggets podcasts.
Nikola Jokic Puts A HISTORIC Game | The Nuggets Win Their 2nd Game | Westbrook Goes CRAZY The Denver Nuggets beat the Brooklyn Nets in their 2nd consecutive overtime win on the road but it was a bumpy start in both games. Jokic is having a career start to the season but is it sustainable?
Westbrook steps up, Joker dominates, Nuggets win in OT AGAIN No Jinx goes over the Nuggets second OT win in a row. Joker is amazing, Russ showed out, and the Nuggets played their best game of the year. Is that enough?
Nuggets beat Nets for second straight OT win The Denver Nuggets beat the Brooklyn Nets Tuesday night for the second straight overtime victory. Nikola Jokic destroyed the Nets all night, finishing with 29 points, 18 rebounds and 16 assists.
