NBA: 4 Most intriguing storylines that will shape 2023-24 season

The championship run of the Nuggets was the culmination of several stories, each of which is worthy of a documentary.

The fall and rebuild of Jamal Murray. The rise of Nikola Jokic as one of the greatest players to ever grace the hardwood. The faith and vision of head coach Michael Malone are being rewarded. The combined efforts of every single member of the team working in unison to win the first title in the franchise’s history.

Call it recency bias, but the Nuggets’ championship run is one of the best feel-good stories in all of sports. And while Denver cannot replicate the magic of that run, they can certainly replicate the end result.

But will they?

On paper, the team is practically identical, albeit with a few pieces missing such as Jeff Green and Bruce Brown. The core of Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and two-time MVP Nikola Jokić has remained, all in excellent condition. Add to that the superb coaching of Michael Malone, and it feels like all the important pieces needed to win another chip are present. Looking at the rest of the league, there haven’t been too many shifts that have earmarked another team as one that can upset the Nuggets. At least in my eyes.

Barring anything unforeseen, I think the Nuggets have a serious shot of being two-time champions this time next year. But now they’ve got a target on their backs. The rest of the teams in the league are aware of how good they are, and will likely try to make moves specifically to beat the defending champions.

It is also worth noting that Golden State were the champions before the Nuggets, only to get eliminated in the second round of last year’s playoffs. Their roster was largely unchanged too. Clearly, the Nuggets repeating is far from a guarantee. As such, it’ll be exciting to see if they can do it, or if they’re felled by another contender.

Which brings us to one final storyline. A tale of patience wearing thin, and lost loyalty…