The Nuggets are fighting against historical precedent once again in their pursuit of a championship. They’re already the exception to the rule. In 2023, they entered the playoffs allowing 113.5 points per 100 possessions — the 15th-best defensive rating in the NBA. It remains the lowest-ranked d efense of any title-winning team in the last 24 years. Since the turn of the century, only three champions have finished the regular season outside the top 10, while 16 have finished in the top five. Half of the champs since 2000 have fielded a top-three defense. Smack dab in the middle might’ve been enough three years ago. But in a Western Conference presided over by the Oklahoma City Thunder, bottom 10 is really pushing Denver’s luck. The Nuggets returned from the All-Star break this week with the No. 24 defense in basketball. At 116.9, it was the worst of any team seeded in the top 10 of either conference. So Denver’s primary focus was no mystery as players and coaches reconvened for a three-game road trip out west. The main issue, as usual this season, was the injury report. With Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson sidelined by hamstring strains, the path toward meaningful defensive progress appeared narrow. “We talked about that today. Before all the (injuries) went on, we were fourth in defense in the NBA, with an elite offense,” coach David Adelman said on Wednesday. “We know what’s there. And we can get back to that point. But to get there, in the meantime, we’ve just gotta be better at just covering for one another. That’s the bottom line.” The only 21st-century champion that ranked lower than 2023 Denver was in 2001, when the Lakers finished the regular season 22nd in defense, first in offense. (Sound familiar?) They were able to turn up the intensity in May and June, leading the playoff field with a 96.4 defensive rating. The Nuggets are hoping to use the same recipe. Olivier-Maxence Prosper (18) of the Memphis Grizzlies scores over Nikola Jokic (15) of the Denver Nuggets during the fourth quarter at Ball Arena in Denver on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post) Are more whistles the answer? Ask any of Denver’s players how the overall product can improve, and they’ll point out their ever-fluctuating commitment to physicality. It’s the easiest answer because it focuses on mindset and effort, not personnel. But for whatever reason, it’s been difficult for the Nuggets to back up their talk all season, dating back to when they made it a goal to emulate OKC’s handsy style at training camp. How do they get over the hump now to apply what they’ve preached? Jonas Valanciunas offered an abstract, motivational response this week. On the road just before the break, a scratched-up Nikola Jokic had a more practical idea. “Look in the mirror,” Valanciunas said. “Bring your heart. Bring your muscles. And bring your balls.” “I think we need to foul more,” Jokic said pointedly. “… Just to foul more, because I think to foul, it’s good tactics.” He wasn’t done. “I think, like, we need to have 25-plus (fouls). You cannot finish the game with two, three fouls. It’s just gonna help us.” The Nuggets were committing 19 per game, eighth-fewest in the league, as they returned to action. Ironically, fouling 14 times in the fourth quarter alone on Thursday contributed to a one-point loss in their first game back. The Clippers attempted 21 free throws in the last 9:06. Jokic isn’t interested in the number of whistles in a vacuum, of course. His philosophy — his teammates indignantly consider him a victim of this at the other end — is that the more you foul, the more you get away with it. If a team reaches in to slap at the ball 50 times in a game, the officials will be forced to move the goal posts as they determine what qualifies as a foul. It might get called 25 of those times. It might also lead to a steal and a fast break 10 of those times. Jaden McDaniels (3) of the Minnesota Timberwolves passes over Peyton Watson (8) of the Denver Nuggets during the second quarter at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado on Thursday, December 25, 2025. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post) Not much of a defensive identity That creative line of thinking is ultimately a symptom of Denver’s roster being what it is. The Nuggets don’t have a feisty, frustrating reputation like Detroit and OKC. They don’t have a rim protector who challenges preconceived notions of basketball geometry like San Antonio and Minnesota (and again OKC). They don’t possess the abundance of youthful athleticism that characterizes most of the NBA’s best defenses these days. They don’t have much of a defensive identity at all. So they’ve resorted to using cleverness as a weapon throughout this season. Matchup zones, schematic chair-pulls, deep drop coverages and hard hedges and a bit of everything in between. Arbitrary quotas on fouls, even. In the paint, Jokic and backup center Jonas Valanciunas are not imposing deterrents. On the perimeter, Gordon and Watson and Christian Braun each fit like a glove in certain matchups, but they each have their flaws, too. They’re pieces of a puzzle, not the entire thing. Watson can be discarded by a powerful enough shoulder. Braun can be slowed down by a firm enough ball screen. Spencer Jones can fall victim to a liberally deployed whistle. Gordon might be the most impactful of the group, but the Nuggets can’t afford to over-rely on his hamstrings. With him on the court this season, their defensive rating is 108.9 — an astronomical 9.6 points better than when he’s off. When he and Braun play together, it’s a solid 112.5. That’s still top-10 worthy. But they haven’t shared the court since early November. In 1,719 minutes with Gordon and Braun both absent, the team’s defensive rating is 121.3, worse than the 30th-ranked Utah Jazz. Related Articles Nikola Jokic didn’t wear tape on injured wrist in Portland, but not because the pain was gone Nuggets falter in clutch time again in last-second loss to Clippers Nuggets to sign former CU Buffs star KJ Simpson to 2-way contract Nuggets sign Spencer Jones to standard contract, converting 2-way deal Nuggets’ David Adelman reflects on Doug Moe’s life, career: ‘Obviously, a Denver sports legend’ “I think where we can be a lot better is, when we have to downsize, which is what we have to do right now, and we have to bring two people to a dominant player, it’s how we rotate behind it,” Adelman said. “Can we be better that way, more impactful to contest better on the second side, third side? Because currently, we’re in a lot of rotations. And it’s just the way it is when you have to bring help.” And needing to rely so much on help in the first place is a ripple effect of lackluster 1-on-1 containment. Lackluster personnel. The Nuggets steadfastly believe theirs is good enough when they’re whole. They don’t have any other choice but to keep believing that. Otherwise, they’re counting on being an anomaly. Want more Nuggets news? Sign up for the Nuggets Insider to get all our NBA analysis. ...read more read less