The Denver Nuggets have been one of the NBA’s biggest surprises this season, but their success in the playoffs could depend on one of their veterans
For much of this season, the Denver Nuggets have been one of the three best teams in the NBA, and have been sitting in the second seed of the Western Conference (behind the Golden State Warriors) for much of the year.
Currently, they’re on pace to win more than 50 games in a season since 2012-13. And are on the verge of making a return to the playoffs, something they haven’t enjoyed since that same season. Perhaps the best thing about this Nuggets team is that they don’t have a “superstar” leading the way, like most other playoff teams in the Western Conference.
Nikola Jokic is a star in the making, but is still very much somewhat of a mystery to the average NBA fan. That is set to change as the Nuggets are projected to be introduced to the casual fan in a few weeks.
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However, the playoffs are a different animal than the regular season. And it has this uncanny ability to get the best – and, unfortunately, sometimes worst – out in players. Which leads us to the Nuggets, who have little playoff experience on their roster.
Paul Millsap, Isaiah Thomas, Mason Plumlee and Will Barton are the only players on the Nuggets’ roster that have playoff experience – and all of it has come during different stops in their NBA careers. With that said, only two of those players get major minutes on a night to night basis – Millsap and Barton.
Barton has only played in one playoff series throughout his career, so while that will prove to be valuable it will be Millsap, who has played in over 30 career playoff games, that will have to lead the Nuggets during the playoffs.
While Millsap is not having a great season, he’s actually posting his lowest numbers of his career since his sophomore year in the league, he possesses the leadership and experience that could prove to be valuable in late-April and May.
Millsap is only averaging 13 points and seven rebounds in a little more than 25 minutes per game, but the calming force that he could bring in that locker room in the playoffs could be something more than the stat sheet could count.
As it currently stands, the Nuggets would face the Utah Jazz in a first-round matchup, and while it may look like a forgone conclusion for which team emerges from that series (based on what we’ve seen in the regular season), there would probably be some that would favor the Jazz depending on experience and the fact that the Jazz might have the best player on the floor on most nights.
The playoffs is more than regular season success. There’s so many more variables to take into account, and one of the biggest is experience and leadership. Don’t be surprised if Paul Millsap takes a bigger role as the playoffs quickly approach.