Contenders and Pretenders: Making sense of the NBA’s crowded field

Denver Nuggets

After emerging as one of the league’s most improved teams last season, the Denver Nuggets are hoping to prove themselves as a Western Conference powerhouse for years to come.

Led by All-Star center Nikola Jokic and point guard Jamal Murray, Denver owns one of the best young duos in the league. However, now burdened by high expectations, the Nuggets need to prove that last season’s playoff run was not simply a fluke.

While Denver was just one win away from advancing to the Western Conference Finals, its postseason performances were somewhat erratic. The Nuggets struggled to take control of either of their playoff series, going to seven games against both the San Antonio Spurs and Portland Trail Blazers.

Much of this is attributable to the lack of postseason experience that accompanies a team as young as the Nuggets. What was more concerning was Denver’s complete and utter inferiority when facing the Golden State Warriors throughout the regular season.

However, with Golden State’s roster now significantly weaker, Denver may no longer need to worry about such a disparity. Continued improvement from Jokic and Murray, along with a bench that ranks among the deepest in the league will likely vault the Nuggets to a top-four seed in the Western Conference.

The bench and supporting cast will be key to Denver’s postseason success, as floor spacers such as Will Barton, Paul Millsap, Torrey Craig, Gary Harris, and Jerami Grant will open up more opportunities for Jokic to thrive as both a distributor and a scorer.

Simply due to the sheer number of young, talented wings flanking Jokic and Murray, this is a team that looks to have the adequate firepower to make noise in the Western Conference playoffs. Contributions from highly-touted young pieces like Michael Porter Jr. and Bol Bol may simply be the cherry on top.

Verdict: Contender