As the opening of the new season draws closer and closer, USA Basketball continues its traditional presentation, franchise by franchise, of the upcoming NBA season. Like every year, this one takes the form of a countdown, from the worst record in the league to our favorite for the title of champion.
Today, we gain altitude by climbing in the heart of the Rockies, in Denver, where a wind of optimism seems to caress the “Mile High City” thanks to the combined returns of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr..
Two returns around the double MVP
Giving up well in spite of themselves Nikola Jokic alone at the helm last season, Murray and Porter Jr. are now recovered from their respective knee and back injuries and they intend to put the Nuggets back on the front of the stage after a sad outing in the first round against Golden State, in the last playoffs.
Qualified for a fourth consecutive year in the playoffs, the Nuggets can thank their pivot, Nikola Jokic – and they did so by offering him the “supermax” with a contract extension of 270 million dollars over five years. Reigning MVP, the “Joker” has simply managed to do even better, with Herculean stats at 27 points, 14 rebounds and 8 assists on average! Deprived of his two lieutenants, the Serbian giant carried his team on his shoulders, towards a correct balance sheet of 48 victories for 34 defeats, ensuring not only in attack but also in defense (more than ever in his career in any case).
With a starting five that seems most formidable, again in full, with the clever addition of the defender / shooter Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the Nuggets can aim for the playoffs, and more! But Mike Malone doesn’t care about the fine speeches at the start of the season, he set the tone for the start!
“I told the guys that if I walked around the locker room asking everyone what their goal is for this season, they would all tell me: win the title. But for me, it’s bullshit! We said the same thing last year. And the guys were late [à l’entraînement], they were not focused. So I told them: don’t talk to me about a title, but act for it! »
SUMMER MOVEMENTS
– Arrivals : Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith (Wizards), DeAndre Jordan (Sixers), Bruce Brown (Nets)
– Departures : JaMychal Green (Thunder), Will Barton and Monte Morris (Wizards), Bryn Forbes and Austin Rivers (Wolves)
PLAYER TO WATCH: Jamal Murray
After eighteen very long months without an official match, since his serious left knee injury just before the 2021 playoffs, Jamal Murray is more than eager to return to competition. The one who shot 21 points and 5 assists with an excellent 48% on shots, including a no less impressive 41% from behind the arc, will certainly be a weight reinforcement for the Nuggets, who want to reach the heights again.
Very happy to be reunited with Nikola Jokic again, Jamal Murray has apparently regained all his confidence in himself, and in his body, at the dawn of what will be his seventh year in Denver.
“I feel rejuvenated in a way, like it’s back to school, even though it’s my seventh. I’m just happy to be back and getting back to my routine. […] I manage to do everything I did before even if I don’t feel 100% yet. When I can have both, it will be perfect! »
Never better than in the playoffs, the Canadian archer will need time at the start of the season to find his bearings, and the physical condition of matches. But his combination with Jokic will still be a headache for the opposing defenses, as the two accomplices know each other inside out, and make each other better.
” Jamal is not where he will be in a month, two months, five months, or at playoff time. relativizes Mike Malone. “He looks good, but I know he’ll be better once he’s back in shape to play a game without having any problems with his knee. We’ll get back to that soon, but it already looks pretty good. »
Average age: 26.5
Payroll: $176.2 million (8th)
THE IDEAL SCENARIO
With their five majors in full, the Nuggets are greatly increasing in power in the regular season. The Gordon – Jokic racquet is complementary and difficult to contain in terms of power, while the returns of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. give a new dimension to Denver’s collective game, which often becomes unstoppable for the opponent, buried under an avalanche of points and moves.
Mike Malone’s executive player for eight years, Will Barton had reached his limits and the arrival of KCP is a good breath of fresh air for the Denver defense, especially alongside Jamal Murray who is bound to have a few difficult nights for his return. to action. Underrated, like Bruce Brown, KCP had indeed been a major architect of the Lakers title in the bubble, and this return to the Western Conference gives him wings.
As in Denver, which finds a Michael Porter Jr. in great shape, and therefore, a sacred offensive weapon to add to the arsenal of Mike Malone. Similarly, the bench is running at full speed thanks to a clever mix of young people (Hyland, Nnaji, even the rookie Braun) and veterans signed in the summer (Brown, Smith, Jordan) who stabilize everything.
In the leading group in the West from the beginning to the end of the season, Denver approach the playoffs with the advantage of the field and there is a scarecrow with its armed and balanced workforce. And a Jamal Murray more reassembled than ever!
WORST SCENARIO
Like last season, the Nuggets’ dreams of grandeur are sadly shattered by the cold reality of the infirmary. Despite all his efforts over the summer, Jamal Murray is struggling to regain his peak form and Denver has to rely a lot on Ish Smith and Bones Hyland in position 1. An ignition delay that downgrades the Nuggets in the league standings ‘ West, and which also forces them to draw even more on Nikola Jokic’s physique.
Having undergone a third back operation at only 24 years old, MPJ is only a shadow of himself. He fails to stay healthy with the sequence of matches. His chronic pain even raises questions about the rest of his NBA career and Denver is desperately looking for a taker for his fallen winger.
Old hands DeAndre Jordan and Jeff Green are definitely showing their age, and the Denver bench in general is one of the worst in the league. The scenario is unfortunately repeated for Nikola Jokic who must again work miracles. But the latter begins to tire from carrying such a burden.
The Nuggets manage to qualify for the “play-in”, but their series of four consecutive qualifications is broken. With the feeling that it is still necessary to review in depth the “supporting cast” of Nikola Jokic…
