Carter Rodriguez
Appearances
The Athletic NBA Daily
Were we wrong about the Nuggets? | Chasing down the Cavs
You did note the three point rate isn't insane. Shouts to ethical hoops. This team is top.
The Athletic NBA Daily
Were we wrong about the Nuggets? | Chasing down the Cavs
in the league without uh spamming threes or spamming free throw attempts um but on the other end of the floor they've been one of the least lucky teams in the league in terms of opponent three-point percentage there was a two-game stretch where jose alvarado and aj green went like 14 of 15 against them you know uh so like i think even if they give up a little bit on the offensive end and maybe settle in six seven eight in the league i think that's a compromise i'm pretty comfortable with given that i think the defense probably has a little room to grow
The Athletic NBA Daily
Were we wrong about the Nuggets? | Chasing down the Cavs
You know, I've always felt like his leap was going to present itself in 10 percent growth increments because he didn't have as much room as a lot of young guys do when they come into the league to get better. Like when you come out of the box as, you know, a defensive player of the year candidate, like just as a rookie.
The Athletic NBA Daily
Were we wrong about the Nuggets? | Chasing down the Cavs
as a 21 year old, like your room for growth to get to star level player, just it's less of a goal. So I've always felt like people looking for like the Omega leap that, you know, certain players get, you know, take year over year, like an Ann Edwards or something like that. I always thought that was probably an unfair thing to even ask from him in the first place.
The Athletic NBA Daily
Were we wrong about the Nuggets? | Chasing down the Cavs
However, he is he's taking a leap.
The Athletic NBA Daily
Were we wrong about the Nuggets? | Chasing down the Cavs
He's already run more pick and rolls this season than he did all of last season combined. He is grabbing and going. They've got a few pet actions with him as a ball handler. They love having Sam Merrill set a screen for him at the elbow and then slip out to three. That's an action that's just so hard for teams to deal with. He is playing stronger, more physical.
The Athletic NBA Daily
Were we wrong about the Nuggets? | Chasing down the Cavs
He's just added some grown man strength.
The Athletic NBA Daily
Were we wrong about the Nuggets? | Chasing down the Cavs
I think they do. They really care about the NBA Cup this year, and that's their next game against Chicago. So that trap game on a Sunday. Oh, Chicago's tough. And Chicago was tough against them, yeah. Chicago's tough, and then the Hornets should be a win, but, you know, they... I would not blame them if they're looking ahead. So I think they got a great shot, and boy, would I love to see it.
The Athletic NBA Daily
Were we wrong about the Nuggets? | Chasing down the Cavs
It's a thriving community, David.
The Athletic NBA Daily
Were we wrong about the Nuggets? | Chasing down the Cavs
Well, he certainly has to get quite a bit of credit, right? I mean, he is the only material difference with this roster year over year, though that is probably Ty Jerome Slander, who missed most of last year with an injury and has been the best backup point guard in basketball.
The Athletic NBA Daily
Were we wrong about the Nuggets? | Chasing down the Cavs
But, you know, Kenny has taken a team and, you know, that we kind of thought we knew that's the kind of trick we play on ourselves when a team sticks together for a couple of years. We just think we know everything there is to know about him. And then all of a sudden, just a different context, a different voice. And they are a pretty fundamentally different team.
The Athletic NBA Daily
Were we wrong about the Nuggets? | Chasing down the Cavs
I mean, this is the best offense in basketball. And offense has really been the question about this team over the past three years of this core operating together. And they are firing on all cylinders. They're playing fast. I want to say they're second in the league in points per possession and transition. They're like seventh in transition frequency. They're running a lot more.
The Athletic NBA Daily
Were we wrong about the Nuggets? | Chasing down the Cavs
They are playing a much deeper rotation. Kenny is a guy who loves to play 10-11 guys, whereas JB, anytime it got past eight, you could tell he was kind of tugging at his collar like, all right, this is a little much. I don't want to play this many guys. So they are playing fast.
The Athletic NBA Daily
Were we wrong about the Nuggets? | Chasing down the Cavs
They are playing a more democratized style of basketball where, you know, last year it was Darius and Donovan leading the team in touches per game by a mile, like 20 more than than third place. This year, it's Darius leading the team. And then Evan Mobley in second place. Donovan Mitchell is third on his team in touches. So this is crazy.
The Athletic NBA Daily
Were we wrong about the Nuggets? | Chasing down the Cavs
Yeah, this has been a materially different Cavaliers team year over year, despite having the same personnel. And so much of it, I think you have to lay at the at the feet of Kenny Atkinson. You know, we heard going into camp that he was running, you know, some practices with an 18 second shot clock just to say, go, go, go. Like you have
The Athletic NBA Daily
Were we wrong about the Nuggets? | Chasing down the Cavs
you know you have to materially play different in practice who you play that differently in a game setting and like I think that change you know the ways he's he's utilizing everyone in the offense I mean the results speak for themselves
The Athletic NBA Daily
Were we wrong about the Nuggets? | Chasing down the Cavs
Well, I think it's no secret that last year was a bit of a lost season for Darius. And, you know, both in terms of the play and even in the style of the play that the team kind of needed to adapt. Like if you look at the usage in the postseason last year, Darius was functionally playing shooting guard.
The Athletic NBA Daily
Were we wrong about the Nuggets? | Chasing down the Cavs
And it's like, yeah, if he's going to be just like an off ball guy that sometimes gets it like then the entire experiment doesn't really work. Like both guys have to be dynamic offensively.
The Athletic NBA Daily
Were we wrong about the Nuggets? | Chasing down the Cavs
on ball players or you might as well play a more conventional backcourt with more conventional size and the fact that he has returned to form the fact that his three-point attempt rate is up like nine or ten percent year over year and the floater game he's like a 70 on floaters right now i mean he is He is scoring at all three levels at a really high level. He his burst is back.
The Athletic NBA Daily
Were we wrong about the Nuggets? | Chasing down the Cavs
He's playing the best on ball defense of his career. And, you know, I think Donovan has just been so, you know, I don't think Donovan really could share the, you know, could share in the offense last year because I don't know if Darius was able to kind of play at the level that warranted it. If we're really being honest. Yeah, that's true. I agree. Oh.
The Athletic NBA Daily
Were we wrong about the Nuggets? | Chasing down the Cavs
over the course of Darius's career, my co-host Justin Rowan and I have always talked about Darius being kind of the, the floor and the ceiling razor for the offense because he is the, you know, he's a true point guard.
The Athletic NBA Daily
Were we wrong about the Nuggets? | Chasing down the Cavs
You know, I think sometimes around the league, people talk about him as more of a scorer, but this is a guy who the team has begged to shoot more when he's open because he loves to pass the ball. He loves to play connective basketball. And I think when he's got the keys to the offense, he really is a tide that raises all boats.
The Athletic NBA Daily
Were we wrong about the Nuggets? | Chasing down the Cavs
Right. Let me be the devil on your shoulder real quick, because, you know, this is a team that Darius Garland, well, well renowned as one of the best three point shooters in basketball. Donovan Mitchell has become one of the best three point shooters in basketball.
The Athletic NBA Daily
Were we wrong about the Nuggets? | Chasing down the Cavs
You know, George Niang, Sam Merrill, a lot of the volume that this team is getting are from guys who are career high 30 percent three point shooters. This is a team whose I thought their percentages kind of underperformed their volume last year. where they got a lot of shots up last year. They actually are shooting less threes this year than they were last year per 100 possessions.
The Athletic NBA Daily
Were we wrong about the Nuggets? | Chasing down the Cavs
But their percentages just really weren't there. I feel like this is a team that is funneling shots to their best shooters. Now, is Karis Levert going to shoot 56% from three or whatever he's at right now? However, they're also missing one of their best shooters in Max Drews, who hasn't played all year. So, you know, yes, it's going to come down to earth. Of course it is.