With his body broken down to the point where simply walking had become a chore he’d rather not have to do, Nuggets guard Randy Foye sat down and summed up the state of his team as it limps into the NBA all-star break.

“There’s no more fault,” he said. “If it’s anyone’s fault, you look at yourself, don’t look at no one else. It’s time to rest, get your mind right and come back ready to play.”

For the Nuggets, healing time means mentally and physically. They’re a beaten-down bunch going into the break. The first few games after the break will determine if they are out for the count.

This month, the Nuggets have lost four of the six games they have played by alarming margins. So accountability should be in demand. But total buy-in by every player has never been achieved at any point this season. And the players know it. Some insist the blame for Denver’s 24-27 start isn’t on the coaching staff, which they say has properly prepared them to play each game. But there’s plenty of soul-searching to go around.

“We really have to want it,” J.J. Hickson said. “We can’t say we want it and then come out and turn the ball over four of the first five possessions.”

Injuries have decimated the Denver roster, and that can’t be underplayed. But even that shouldn’t mean the available players can’t adhere to the game plan, can’t keep proper focus on the defensive end, can’t study and be aware of the personnel they are facing each game.

“Obviously, they don’t want to go out and lose by 30 night in and night out,” said first-year Nuggets coach Brian Shaw. “But talking about what needs to be done and doing what needs to be done are two different things, and we have to make those the same thing.”

Shaw has never excluded himself from those who need to find answers. He has pointed the finger at himself on numerous occasions, and didn’t spare his role in the improvement that’s needed after the break.

“Collectively, until we figure out how to defend — and a big part of that is on us as a coaching staff, just trying to figure what’s going to work best for us matchup-wise, activity-wise — that’s going to get us aggressive and get our confidence up,” Shaw said. “We lost a little bit of confidence on this (past) road trip. It’s no better time to have a break than now.”

Ty Lawson’s absence at point guard because of injuries has been a big blow. The Nuggets are 2-4 without him, and their execution offensively has been so spotty when he’s been gone, it’s led Shaw to quip: “If I was Ty’s agent, I’d be smiling and feeling really good right now because it just shows how important he is to our team.”

Lawson already is laughing on his way to the bank. He’s in the first year of a four-year contract worth $48 million.

But even Lawson hadn’t experienced losing like this, at any level. If money could buy wins, he would be one of the first on board.

Christopher Dempsey: cdempsey@denverpost.com or twitter.com/dempseypost