Tonight, when the Nuggets face the Suns, I can’t help but imagine that Denver knows this is a game they should win. The Suns have been as bad this season as almost everyone expected them to be two seasons ago, when they made a surprise playoff charge, finishing just out of the post season. It seems the only team they can beat is, oddly, Memphis. They’ve been unappealing and ineffective on offense, porous and haphazard on defense, and overall disconnected from what it takes to win NBA games.
Yes, this is a game that Denver should win. However, if there's one thing that we've learned this season, it is that nothing about this iteration of the Nuggets is predictable – not only from game to game, but within the games themselves. The Nuggets have shown a lot of growth this season, even if the win/loss record does not clearly show it. With that being said, if the Nuggets want to move on to possibly being a good(ish) team next season, one thing they need to correct is the consistency issue. They have had a tendency this season to play to the level of their competition. While this has led to some fun and spectacular wins (take that, Golden State!), it has also brought about some (very, extremely) disappointing losses. Denver needs to learn how to consistently beat the teams they should be beating, especially on their home court. Tonight would be a good time to start.
