The Denver Nuggets plan on playing "smashmouth basketball" under new head coach Brian Shaw.

"Smashmouth means that you are literally going to get your mouth smashed if you're going against us for a rebound or a loose ball," Shaw said. "We want to have a nasty disposition, both offensively and defensively."

The Nuggets have always been very difficult to play in Denver due to the thin air, but it hasn't been a strategy that has led to playoff success.

"The style of play ... is going to be a little different than what it has been around here for the past few years," Shaw said. "We do still want to take advantage of getting up and down the floor and take advantage of the climate and the altitude. But, with that being said, the teams I've been associated both as a player and as a coach have had success establishing a presence inside, executing in half court and having a defensive identity, as well as being a good rebounding team."