![]() Knowing for a fact that last year will still be on Denver's mind, this will be a good one. After failing to win a game in the Western Conference Semifinals against the Suns, the Nuggets will open their season at the Footprint Center with an opportunity to avenge last season's postseason loss, if only just a little bit. ![]() The only thing better than a playoff rematch is a playoff rematch that falls on opening night. Denver essentially checks all boxes of a real contender and will be a scary team to deal with during the stretch run of the season and the 2022 NBA Playoffs. The details surrounding Murray's return are still murky, but given his work ethic and where he appears to be in his recovery, it could very well be with plenty of time to spare before the postseason. Looking at the Western Conference landscape, many will consider the new-look Los Angeles Lakers to be a favourite to advance to the NBA Finals, while the Phoenix Suns are the defending conference champions, but this Nuggets team isn't too far off from either contender, if at all. In conversation with NBA.com's Kyle Irving and Scott Rafferty, we determined that the Nuggets were good enough to enter the top tier of contenders in the Western Conference, contingent on the return of their star guard in Murray, who is working to return from a torn ACL suffered in April.ĭenver has the pieces in place, from Jokic to Porter and Gordon, who recently signed a contract extension to ensure that he will be a part of the franchise's future for years to come. After a "redshirt" rookie campaign, Porter has continued to improve at a rapid rate and is now in line for a nice contract extension to ensure his place within this franchise's future.Īll that will be left is a level of play that lives up to the figure. 88nP7HIBSaĪ favourite to win Most Improved Player, Porter taking a leap into becoming a fringe All-Star or even an All-Star-level performer will be key for this Nuggets team to hold a place at the top of the Western Conference to open the season, and he's not too far off from it already.Ĭoming into the league, it was clear that Porter had top-pick level talent, it was only a matter of him staying healthy enough to show it. The scary part? He still has plenty of room to get better. The 23-year-old is coming off of a season in which he averaged 19.0 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 54.2 percent from the field and 44.5 percent from the 3-point line. Three years ago, the Nuggets took a chance by selecting Porter 14th overall in the 2018 NBA Draft, and it's certainly paid off. Since Jokic is in the business of making history, you never know… With an NBA title in their sights, Jokic now looks to become the next on a rare list of late picks to propel their team to a championship.įor what it's worth, the last second-round pick to win Finals MVP was Dennis Johnson in 1979. We have yet to see the best of Jokic, and while it may be hard to repeat as MVP, there are even bigger team goals that he can help propel the Nuggets towards. ![]() Not to mention he looks ready to take things to another level. It's fair to assume he's still getting better. This is your reminder that as great as Jokic has been up to this point in his career, he won't turn 27 until the 2022 All-Star Weekend. Jokic is coming off of a season in which he made history, becoming the first-ever second-round pick to win NBA MVP honours, doing so with career-best averages of 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists while appearing in all 72 games. * Murray is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in April and is out indefinitely. Paul Millsap, free agency Depth chart Denver Nuggets depth chart (2021-22) Jeff Green, free agency Notable departures 2020-21 season recordĤ7-25, 3rd in Western Conference Notable additions In preparation for the upcoming season, we're dedicating one day between now and the start of the season to each team in the league. The 2021-22 NBA season is set to tip off on Oct.
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