NBA Power Rankings: Celtics living up to hype; 76ers are better without Harden?

Boston Celtics Jrue Holiday and Jayson Tatum (Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports)
Boston Celtics Jrue Holiday and Jayson Tatum (Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports)
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Lakers-Nuggets
Denver Nuggets Nikola Jokic (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)

2. Denver Nuggets

The defending NBA Champions have had a relatively strong start to the season with their only hiccup coming against the Minnesota Timberwolves, who gave them some matchup problems last season in their first-round playoff series. However, it seems that the Nuggets aren’t just happy with last year’s championship. This team very much feels like the favorite in the Western Conference and has played that way through the first couple of weeks of the regular season.

The big question for the Nuggets is their durability. If the Nuggets can stay relatively healthy, they’re going to be in a good spot to potentially repeat as NBA Champions. For now, the Nuggets have the look of a team that is ready to repeat. But the NBA season is a long one and injuries can’t be predicted.

The Nuggets have a top 5 net rating in the NBA and are playing high-quality of basketball on both ends of the floor. The Nuggets know who they are and it’s evident just how talented they can be.