NBA Power Rankings: The curious case of the Knicks; red-hot Magic surging in East

The New York Knicks and the Orlando Magic are the subject of this week's NBA Power Rankings.

Charlotte Hornets v Orlando Magic
Charlotte Hornets v Orlando Magic | Julio Aguilar/GettyImages
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2. Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets may not be sitting atop the Western Conference standings at the moment but the defending champions are still considered by most the only true complete team in the conference. The Minnesota Timberwolves have been a good early-season story but I can't imagine there are many that are expected to be able to beat the Nuggets in a seven-game series. At least not yet. For now, that expectation still very much remains on the Nuggets.

As the defending champs, it's not that surprising that the Nuggets are somewhat taking it slow during the regular season. There's no need to push too hard just yet, especially considering that the Nuggets know they have enough talent and experience to win a title. Nikola Jokic is still playing at an NBA MVP level and might even be the current favorite at the moment.

Jamal Murray remains one of the most underrated point guards in the league. The Nuggets are right where they should be at this point in the season. It makes no sense for Denver to be peaking at this point in the season. They know when their time will come, hopefully in May and June.