8. Denver Nuggets
In a vacuum, the Denver Nuggets have gotten off to a fairly strong start without Jamal Murray and with Michael Porter Jr. in and out of the lineup. Murray is not expected to be back with the team until the second half of the season and MPJ is expected to be out for the “foreseeable future.”
As it currently stands, the Nuggets are 9-7 and in that second tier of the Western Conference. And I don’t think they can make the move up the West standings until either MPJ or Murray make a return. And from the sound of it, perhaps we’ll see Murray back before MPJ.
As long as Nikola Jokic is healthy though, the Nuggets will still play a factor in the West. The Nuggets may not be fully healthy or as dangerous as they will be by season’s end, but they’re a team to watch.