People see that the Nuggets are humming along, that Nikola Jokic is putting up monster numbers on a nightly basis, that Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon are healthy and off to great starts, and that the bench is deeper and holding its own while the key starters rest and stay fresh.
But what they may not realize is that the Nuggets have been playing defense at an elite level this season. Through their first 11 games, the Nuggets have the 2nd-best defensive rating in the entire league, trailing only the Thunder.
They made a lot of changes in the offseason, but they didn’t touch their core, and it’s not like they brought in any defensive stoppers or anything like that.