Winless Nuggets battle winless Pistons
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Somebody is going to be the NBA's only 0-4 team after the Detroit Pistons visit the Denver Nuggets tonight at the Pepsi Center.
The Nuggets hope it's not them as they are the last NBA team to contest its home opener. The team has started 0-3 for the first time since the 2006-07 season after losses in Philadelphia, Orlando and Miami.
Denver will play 17 of its first 23 away from the high altitude. If the Nuggets can weather the road storm, they will be fine based on history. Since the start of the 2007-08 season, only the Los Angeles Lakers have a better home record than the Nuggets.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"There's an energy in our building and (there) has been since I've been here," said head coach George Karl. "I think everybody understands of our first 10 home games, we'd like to win 9 or 10 of them just to sustain the road."
Tuesday night will mark the home debut of Andre Iguodala, who was traded to the Nuggets in the offseason from the Philadelphia 76ers.
"I'm interested to see the atmosphere," Iguodala said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Nuggets were expected to be one of the league's highest-scoring clubs, but have averaged 93.3 ppg through the first three. The offense came around a bit in Miami, where the Nuggets put up 116 points. Problem was, LeBron James and company went off for 119, sparked by 40 from Chris Bosh.
The Nuggets' start is surprising, but the Pistons' one isn't.
This is the third straight season Detroit has opened 0-3 and things don't get any easier. The Pistons are in the middle of a six-game road trip after they dropped the opener at home, 105-96 to the Houston Rockets and more specifically, James Harden.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}During the loss against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night, not a single member of the starting five scored in double figures. The unit combined for 27 points and the backcourt of Rodney Stuckey and Brandon Knight chipped in a whopping two points.
Pistons head coach Lawrence Frank grew so tired of what he saw, he pulled the starters in the third quarter.
"We know this is a building group," acknowledged Frank. "It's unacceptable to get your doors blown off, but we did, and yet we know we're a young building group. There's no excuse acceptable to not come in because in all that second unit did (Sunday), they just played hard."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Pistons have averaged 88 points through three games and the team's leading scorer is Tayshaun Prince at 13 ppg.
The Nuggets have won the last four meetings, but the Pistons took seven in a row before that.