MAKING SOME NOISE
Team aims to shed “quiet” tag
During a voluntary minicamp in Atlanta this summer, new Nuggets assistants Bob Weiss and David Adelman observed a quality about their team that head coach Michael Malone already knew.
These Nuggets are polite and quiet. Perhaps too polite and quiet. And now Malone faces a somewhat tricky task as Denver prepares to start a 2017-18 season with playoff potential. Namely, bringing stronger voices out without altering players’ natural personalities.
“You can’t fake it,” starting shooting guard Gary Harris said. “But it’s time for some guys to step up and be a little bit more vocal. I’m not saying you’ve got to be yelling and crazy all the time, but if you see something, speak up and let the team know.”
The reserved collective nature is a byproduct of the Nuggets’ young core, with the starting five likely to be populated with three players with less than four years of NBA experience in Harris, center Nikola Jockic and either Jamal Murray or Emmanuel Mudiay at point guard. Signing power forward Paul Millsap in free agency brings a key veteran presence, but he is also understated and acknowledges he prefers “peace and quiet” in the locker room.
But on-court communication is critical on the defensive end, the area the Nuggets must improve upon the most if they want to make the playoffs for the first time since 2013 after ranking as one of the NBA’S worst in every major statistical category last season. So the coaching staff has crespeaks ated drills during training camp that require the posts to talk to the guards, either while guarding the pick and roll or going three-onthree in the full court.
“The communication has to be there,” Malone said. “Because if not, somebody’s gonna get run over.”
But the Nuggets also are not big on harmless smack talk or checking in with each other throughout a game, Malone said.
The coach wants to instill confidence in his players to give a teammate a boost of encouragement when needed — or to get on their case if need be.
“If you want to win, you need to speak up,” Murray said. “You’ve just got to talk to guys freely and share what’s on your mind about something and get through it. There’s gonna be some tug-ofwar sometimes, but that’s how it goes. You’ve just got to make sure you go out there and still play for each other.”
Malone believes Harris “has it in him” to be a more definitive voice, thanks to the respect he’s gained in the locker room because of a work ethic that helped him average 14.9 points and 2.9 assists per game during a breakout 201617 season. The coach realizes holding that type of role could be more challenging for Jokic, who fluent English but hails from Serbia.
Malone trusts he can utilize Millsap to deliver a team-wide message. Veteran forward Darrell Arthur has been lauded for his leadership during timeouts and in the locker room. Reserve center Mason Plumlee, who was acquired at the trade deadline last season but just re-signed with the Nuggets, said teammates can’t be “afraid” to hold each other accountable.
“If there is an issue, you have to address it,” Plumlee said. “Not every play, but if there’s a (consistent) breakdown, we have to recognize it, just as the staff would.”
Early in camp last week, Malone said he was pleased with how the Nuggets communicated during various defensive drills.
But after the backups dominated the starters in their first scrimmage, the coach stressed everybody needed to work on transferring those lessons to an extended “live” setting.
The preseason will give clues on how the Nuggets are developing their voices on the court and in the locker room. The end-ofpractice free-throw sessions — the only portion reporters can view — during the team’s stay in Boulder have been relatively subdued.
Perhaps the most boisterous display came Thursday, when the team gathered at midcourt to serenade forward Juancho Hernangomez and director of basketball operations Ben Tenzer with a rendition of “Happy Birthday.”
But a few minutes later, veteran point guard Jameer Nelson sat on the floor next to Jockic and leaned against the wall.
And they talked.