2. Denver Nuggets
Key Additions: JaMychal Green, RJ Hampton (R),
Key Losses: Jerami Grant, Mason Plumlee, Torrey Craig
The Denver Nuggets wowed everyone down in Orlando by making the Western Conference Finals via two dramatic 7-game duels. Denver comes back to the season with All-NBA big man Nikola Jokic (easily the best passing center ever) and star guard Jamal Murray (fresh off his blistering 2020 bubble playoff run) in the prime of their careers, ready to take their team to the NBA Finals. The Nuggets also return guards Will Barton and Gary Harris, as well as key bench players Monte Morris and Paul Millsap.
The Nuggets, unfortunately, had the worst offseason of any serious Western Conference contender, losing both Jerami Grant and Mason Plumlee in free agency. Signing JaMychal Green helps alleviate some of the loss, but now the Nuggets lack serious depth with their big man rotation (Denver also lost Torrey Craig, although I think his minutes will ultimately go to Barton and Harris).
The key to the upcoming season for the Denver Nuggets will be an improvement from Michael Porter Jr. Last Season, the brash MPJ showed he’s one of the best young offensive talents in the league who can drop 30 any night. However, Porter Jr. also showed that he’s way behind on the defensive side – his footwork was slow on rotations, and quickly became a player that smart opponents hunted out over and over. If Porter Jr can have some modest improvement on his defensive effort and approach, he’ll be able to stay on the court longer.
Denver was the 5th rated offense in the League last year, mostly due to Jokic’s offensive mastery and the Nuggets’ aggression on the offensive boards. Their defense was only league average, and their defensive schemes gave up wide open 3’s in bunches. Whether or not Mike Malone figures out things on the defensive side, the Nuggets will likely have to outscore teams if they want to contend for the NBA title. But from what Jokic and Murray showed us in the bubble, that certainly isn’t a crazy thought.
Projected Record: 45-27