The Nuggets' slow start should give Spurs confidence in future matchups

The Denver Nuggets have gotten off to a bit of a slow start to their season, losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder in their first game and letting the Golden State Warriors beat them at home on Monday. The latter led to embarrassing boos from the Ball Arena crowd. It's early, but so far, they aren't looking like the sort of Western Conference threat that the San Antonio Spurs need to lose sleep over.

Now, the Spurs haven't quite been dominant themselves, as they lost their first two games against the Thunder and an impressive Houston Rockets squad. But their issues in those contests primarily came from adjusting to new lineups and rotations.

Once they settle in, it'll be tough for opponents to match up with them, as they have some of the best two-way personnel in the entire league. That isn't to suggest Denver won't find their own rhythm, but you do have to wonder: is its upside as a team anywhere close to the Spurs'?

The Denver Nuggets still have a big defensive problem

Last season, the Nuggets were abysmal on the defensive end, ranking near the bottom of the league in defensive rating. They showed some flashes of improvement in their first two games, including that comeback win against the New Orleans Pelicans. David Adelman deployed a big lineup featuring Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon, and Trevon Brazile that put together some great stops.

But they were lackluster in their home loss to the Warriors, giving up 134 points on efficient shooting splits. Rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg torched them for 31 points, getting to the rim at will. Overall, this group has struggled to keep opponents out of the paint, giving up 52.7 points.

Trying to compete against the Spurs with a soft interior defense is a recipe for disaster. They have a fleet of guards who excel at beating opponents one-on-one to get downhill for crafty finishes, and they can also draw fouls. There's also a guy named Victor Wembanyama who's virtually unstoppable if you don't have enforcers to protect the paint.

Nikola said it himself after that loss to the Warriors. Right now, the Nuggets are just not playing up to par defensively. If that continues, it'll be difficult for them to have their way against the defending Western Conference champions down the road.

This is Wemby's chance to prove himself against Nikola Jokic

Historically, Jokic has had his way against the 7'4" superstar, winning five out of their seven head-to-head matchups and averaging a ridiculous 37.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 9.1 assists in those games. This season, Wemby must flip the script and win some battles against his positional rival.

He's got a perfect chance to do so. The Alien has a great supporting cast that can help bruise Jokic up on both sides of the ball and occupy some of the Nuggets' strongest defenders, allowing him to find easy scoring opportunities and dominate in the clutch.

I'll be fair to Nuggets fans here: this team can definitely find its groove and climb towards a spot in the top of the Western Conference standings. We're just a week into the season, so it'll be ridiculous to count them out. But regardless, the Spurs are just a different animal that's well-equipped to exploit some of their biggest weaknesses.

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