With the season spiraling out of control, Denver Nuggets coach Brian Shaw decided to forgo practice and talk it out. The Denver coaching staff individually met with Nuggets players and then conducted a full meeting to air grievances with one another, Shaw told the Denver Post.
Brian Shaw has Nuggets talk out effort issues
Losers of eight in a row, the Denver Nuggets talked during their practice time.
Byron Hetzler-USA TODAY Sports
“There were a lot of things that people wanted to get off their chests,” Shaw said. “They were given the platform to get it off their chests, and collectively talked it out on what we felt needed to be the common denominator moving forward. And I think it was pretty unanimous that it was hard work and effort.”
The Nuggets have lost eight in a row and have struggled to adjust to Shaw, who replaced last season’s coach, George Karl. Shaw said he wanted to flush out all the issues within the locker room, which apparently have been festering for some time.
It came to a head this past week, when backup point guard Andre Miller publicly sparred with Shaw during a game. Miller was suspended two games for conduct detrimental to the team and now appears to be on the trading block.
Denver Stiffs: More on Shaw
The latest loss for Denver was a painful one against the rebuilding Philadelphia 76ers in the Pepsi Center. In the Nuggets' eight losses, they have lost by an average of 12.1 points per game, and during that span have a league-worst net rating of -12.4. The next closest net of NBA teams' offensive and defensive ratings over their eight recent games is the Sixers' -8.6 rating, according to NBA.com's stats tool. Additionally, Denver is scoring an NBA-low 94.4 points per 100 possessions and has a 44.6 effective field goal percentage (which takes into account three-point shots being worth more than two-pointers) in its last eight games.
Simply put, the Nuggets are struggling across the board on the court. Now, it’s to be determined whether their talks off of it make a difference.
More from SB Nation NBA:
See More:
