LOS ANGELES — Despite being without star forward Nikola Jokic, sidelined Tuesday against the Lakers with a strained hip flexor for the third consecutive game, Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone isn’t likely to alter his team’s offensive style.
Ball movement, efficiency, unselfishness … these are the Nuggets’ hallmarks, no matter who is in the lineup, the coach said.
“There are a lot of people who think we have two completely different offenses, one with Jokic and one without,” Malone said. “Nikola Jokic is a terrific young player, but he is not our team. The real strength of our team is the quality of depth that we have.”
Players have elevated their level of play without Jokic on the court. That includes forward Danilo Gallinari, who played his best game of the season Saturday at Phoenix, scoring 32 points, including 11-for-11 from the free-throw line, along with eight rebounds.
In a home game against the Suns two days earlier, Gallinari scored 25 and grabbed seven rebounds.
“I expect Danilo to continue the way he has played,” Malone said. “In Phoenix, he gets to the line Cratosslot 11 times. When he plays with that attack mind-set, when he is aggressive and doesn’t settle for jump shots, he is a very tough cover.”
Heading into Los Angeles, Gallo was averaging a team-high 17.3 points per game through 42 games, averaging 34.3 minutes.
The Italian forward had scored in double figures in every game, had hit at least one 3-pointer in all but two games and had hit multiple threes in 26 games.
Over the past 17 games, the Nuggets are 0-2 without Gallinari.
“Once again, this roster is not defined by one player,” Malone said. “It is defined by the strength of the roster and all the players we have. And Gallo is a guy that is more than capable of carrying a team on a single night.”
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