Denver Nuggets NBA Power Rankings: All-Star Edition

Each week, Nugg Love takes a look around the web to see where the Denver Nuggets land in the latest edition of the NBA Power Rankings

Week 16 revolved around the NBA All-Star break and what a weekend it was. An awesome big vs. small skills comp, the splash brothers dueling it out in the three-point contest, and Aaron Gordon and Zach LeVine going into OT in arguably the great display of dunks we’ve ever seen live.

While everybody was buzzing about the weekends festivities, the Denver Nuggets did their best to represent. Emmanuel Mudiay showed some serious skills in the Rising Stars Challenge matching Zach LaVine in scoring with 30 points. They gave LaVine the MVP because the United States team pulled off the three point victory, but Mudiay was definitely in the running if the World could have taken it.

Jokic got a nice 12/8/4 stat line in limited minutes to keep his hype on the rise. Now, for anybody that watched that game, defense wasn’t the main priority as is the theme with most of the All-Star games so we take all of those box scores with a grain of salt.

While Mudiay shined with the young kids, he got schooled in the skills competition. The three point shooting struggles he’s displayed this year came back to bite him. Also, the fumble on the baseline unguarded didn’t do him any favors.

Will “The Thrill” tried to put on a show at the dunk contest coming out to Michael Jackson, but was immediately shut down by Charles Barkley’s disdain for Nuggets fans. The first dunk was one of the better in the entire first round, but being the first to go makes for tentative judging. If LaVine did that dunk, it’s a sure 50.

While dunk number two had spectacular potential, Barton couldn’t pull it off in the time allotted. As we all saw, he was going up against some pretty heavy hitters anyways. If Will Barton keeps ascending like he’s been this year, he may get another shot at a dunk title next year, and he’ll be even more ready for the challenge.

The Nuggets played a couple games earlier in the week. They lost on Joe Johnson’s last second bank shot to the lowly Brooklyn Nets keeping them from a four game win streak after they took down the Pistons Wednesday night.

That makes the Nuggets 4-2 in February and winners of five of their last eight. The Nuggets have played .500 ball since the turn of the year. With 28 games left in the season, Denver has a legitimate shot at 35 wins, an incredible number to build on heading into next season.

Even with the loss to the Nets, everybody sees Denver on the rise. Check the latest NBA Power Rankings to see where the Nuggets shake out hitting the final third of the season:

Once again, the Denver kids hit a new high as they find themselves at the 18^th spot on CBS Sports’ list. Being top 20 overall, this is a team with a crazy young average age showing they are in the middle tier of the league. Many analysts would say this is the tier of death with no potential to draft future stars, but I say, we got next. They are going to be the popular pick to make a jump next season once the offseason hits.

John Schuhmann of ESPN notes that the Nuggets have the easiest remaining schedule in the west. Normally a great thing, but Denver has struggled in games they should win. Let’s hope the All-Star break and health turn things around in that department.

Schuhmann also mentioned with the young talent meshing so well together, any player in their prime on the team is expendable. Let’s just hope Denver doesn’t do anything rash to ruin the momentum.

With still plenty of rest, the Nuggets don’t play again until Friday against the Kings. The trade deadline could play an X-factor in who hits the court, but the Nuggets beating a team that is neck and neck with them in both the standing and power rankings would provide a nice boost.

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They return home Sunday for a rematch against the Boston Celtics. The Nuggets let Avery Bradley torch them for 27 at the end of January. They need to step up their defense while keeping the offense flowing like it has been the last six weeks.

Like I said before, analysts love picking a team to make strides towards next year once the offseason hits. If the Nuggets continue making the same strides they’ve been, that will be the story.

The team, staff, and organization have worked so hard this year to build success and the last third of the season is their chance to leave a mark.