The Denver Nuggets have earned a 2 seed in the NBA playoffs after achieving a franchise-record 57 wins this season. They defeated the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs in 5 games and faced the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round. The Timberwolves won the series in seven games and knocked the defending champs out of the playoffs.
Nikola Jokic was named the 2023-2024 regular season MVP, earning his third in the last four years. Jokic is only one of nine players in NBA history to have 3 MVPs in a career joining NBA greats like Michael Jordan, Lebron James, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Many other players have recognized Jokic as a great player in the league such as Kevin Garnett stating “What he’s doing is unprecedented” and Anthony Edwards mentioned “He’s the best player in the NBA.” Jokic has had an incredible season averaging 26.4 PPG, 12.4 RPG, and 9 assists per game.
General Manager Calvin Booth has done an amazing job building around Jokic in recent years. USA Today has ranked the Nuggets as the number-one starting five in the entire league. The Nuggets have achieved this by finding five guys that complement each other well, including players like Michael Porter Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope who are two high-level catch-and-shoot players. The starting five also includes Aaron Gordon who compliments Jokic very well being an elite defender and lob threat. The Nuggets starting point guard is Jamal Murray who is a perfect running mate with Nikola Jokic. The two will often run a Pick and Roll which torches defenses nightly and has pushed them to be one of the top duos in the entire league.
The Head Coach of the Nuggets is Michael Malone, he was hired in 2015 and has led the Nuggets to success ever since. Malone coached the Nuggets to a championship last season and is highly regarded as one of the best coaches in the league. Malone is known for his strong emphasis on defense and his adaptability. In the past seasons, the Nuggets have dealt with many injuries during these times which Malone has done a great job adapting the team’s offense and defense based on the players available.
With the Nuggets season coming to an end, the coaches and front office will have to decide if they want to make any major changes in the offseason to improve the team and push them to another NBA title.
