The Denver Nuggets have now lost three straight games, their latest defeat coming at the hands of Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. Nikola Jokic and the rest of the Nuggets havenât had the easiest times of late â especially Jamal Murray, who scuffled to the tune of 2-11 shooting. And it seems as if the Nuggetsâ frustrations are mounting, with backup point guard Bones Hyland admitting that the Denver locker room isnât in high spirits at the moment.
After their 116-115 heartbreaking loss on Tuesday night, Hyland told reporters that the Nuggets as a team arenât too pleased with their recent results, especially when the mistakes theyâve been making, particularly on the defensive end, are very correctable.
The locker roomâs definitely frustrated,â Hyland said, per Mike Singer of the Denver Post, via RealGM. âWeâre frustrated. We know weâre giving up so many games right now. Weâre losing games that weâre supposed to be winning, and we know weâre not giving a sense of urgency to defend and go out there and compete every night.â
The Nuggets have fallen all the way to 26th in terms of points allowed per 100 possessions, a far cry from where they need to be given their lofty championship aspirations. (For reference, the Nuggets ranked 15th last season.) Thus, Bones Hylandâs defensive concerns are justified.
Moreover, the Nuggetsâ young scoring guard is definitely frustrated given his inconsistent role as of late. While Hyland may have played 30 minutes and dropped 20 points off the bench during Denverâs loss to the Mavs, he was coming off a five-minute effort against the New Orleans Pelicans after coach Michael Malone decided to bench him during their 121-106 defeat last Sunday.
With Jamal Murray still not 100 percent back from his long-term injury, Bones Hyland could be pressed into more action over the coming games. It remains to be seen, however, if Hyland and the rest of the Nuggets locker room manage to turn their frustrations into something positive.