The Denver Nuggets went from almost unanimous title favorites last season to one of the mid-tier Western Conference teams this year. Head coach Michael Malone and GM Calvin Booth paid for that regression with their jobs less than 10 days ago, but the Nuggets have to compete in the Playoffs in two days despite their interrupted season.
It’s shocking to see where Denver is right now after being widely viewed as the best team in the West for years. Forward Michael Porter Jr. reflected on this downfall ahead of the 2025 Playoffs, remarking that other teams have been able to catch up since their easy 2023 Championship win.
“I just think that the league has spread out so evenly. There are so many good teams across the league. That playoffs that we won that championship, there wasn’t that much of a struggle throughout the playoffs. I think our most difficult series was Phoenix, and we beat them 4-2.”
“Since that championship year, many teams have constructed their teams to compete with us. You know, the Timberwolves did a great job against us. But you’ve got so many good teams that we haven’t gotten a chance to get used to. We didn’t play the Lakers with Luka and LeBron on the court. I don’t think at all yet. The Clippers have Kawhi and Harden, and we haven’t got to play them.”
“I think this is a different Playoffs and it will present a lot of unique challenges. We have to come in and be focused, game-by-game, and adjust well.”
Michael Porter Jr. on what’s changed since the Nuggets won a title:
“I just think that the league has spread out so evenly. There’s so many good teams across the league.
“That playoffs that we won that championship, there wasn’t that much of a struggle throughout the playoffs.” pic.twitter.com/mm6Hrx7DVf
— DNVR Nuggets (@DNVR_Nuggets) April 17, 2025
These are all valid points that Porter Jr. himself has no control over. The Nuggets saw high-level championship role-players leave in consecutive seasons, with the franchise replacing them with internally drafted players and veteran signings such as Russell Westbrook. The roster is simply not at the elite level it was just two seasons ago.
We fact-checked Porter Jr.’s statement on not playing the Lakers with both Luka Doncic and LeBron James and the Clippers with Kawhi Leonard and James Harden this season.
The Nuggets have played two games against the Lakers since the Luka acquisition, with one Nuggets win seeing both Luka and LeBron sit out (131-126) while the other was a Lakers win with Luka playing but no LeBron (120-106).
The Nuggets will head into the Playoffs with home-court advantage over the LA Clippers in a 4-5 seed matchup. Many predict the Clippers to be the dark horses of the Playoffs due to the recent form of Kawhi.
Even though the Nuggets and Clippers had three regular-season clashes against each other, Kawhi didn’t play in a single one of them.
Porter Jr. will have to adjust on the fly and learn how to beat these opponents down with the fresh perspective of rookie interim coach David Edelman. Porter is averaging 18.2 points and 7.0 rebounds this season, with the team relying on him to be one of the primary scorers to stand a chance in the Playoffs.
