The Denver Nuggets, for the past few seasons, have been a solid team in the Western Conference. Ever since the bubble, the Nuggets have proven that they can be a consistent playoff team. With 2-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic leading the way, the Nuggets even made it to the Western Conference Finals in the 2020 playoffs.
But since then, the Nuggets haven’t had the best of time in the playoffs. With their starting guard Jamal Murray and forward Michael Porter Jr. missing time through injury, the Nuggets have been a one-man show and, despite Jokic’s best efforts, unable to make a significant run in the playoffs.
For the upcoming season, the Nuggets are back in full strength. With Murray and Porter Jr. both scheduled to make their return, Denver can be a challenger in the Western Conference. Recently, Jamal Murray spoke about the competition in the West. There the guard claimed that he wasn’t worried about the likes of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns but rather focused on the Nuggets’ success.
“I don’t care. I don’t care what they’ve got. I know we have a great team… We have a great team. Everybody knows what we can do. You’ve seen the snippets of what we can do when we’re all healthy together, so we just look forward to that. We don’t care what the Suns have and what the Lakers have, we just want to be healthy so we can do what we set out to do.”
The Nuggets surely have a great squad on paper. With the reigning MVP leading the way, Murray provides the team with a scoring option and a playmaking. Michael Porter Jr., on the other hand, is a prospect who has shown that he can be a multi-faceted scorer. If the trio of Jokic, Murray, and Porter Jr. can stay healthy, the Nuggets can do some serious damage in the West.
But with teams like the Suns, the Lakers, and the Clippers, it will be tough for Jokic and Co. to make their mark. Can Denver leapfrog the competition and challenge the Warriors?
