Why Denver Nuggets still need to find another star

The Denver Nuggets won’t be able to take another step forward unless they can add a new star to pair with Nikola Jokic.

The age old question that has plagued Denver Nuggets fans as well as the front office since the departure of Carmelo Anthony during the 2011 season: whether or not Denver needs a new star, a big name, a go-to guy for when the game on the line.

The short answer is yes. Every team (at least every team that can contend for a title) has at least one of these players on their pay roll.

There are many reasons beyond those given that a big name would help the Nuggets as they take steps towards the playoffs and look further ahead towards their hopeful future as a legitimate contender on the rise.

One major reason is how another go-to guy could complement rising star Nikola Jokic and the rest of the developing Denver roster.

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Jokic is already a growing star who has a complete all-around offensive game, possessing tremendous scoring efficiency from a range of spots on the floor and, first and foremost, incredible passing ability that makes him one of the NBA’s best bigs already. However, he is still missing the killer instinct and create-off-the-dribble gene that was found in Melo and other stars around the league. After all, being a super aggressive scorer isn’t really Jokic’s game.

With Denver’s highest scoring player (Danilo Gallinari) averaging just 18.2 points per game last season they found themselves not knowing who to go to when the game is on the line.

Although Gallo, Wilson Chandler and Jokic are the main scorers and offense for the Nuggets, head coach Michael Malone should look for the Nuggets’ new Carmelo Anthony.

The Nuggets are making the right steps toward the playoffs and have had slow improvement in the past few years. Yet they still need that extra piece to add to the good steps that they’ve taken in the past few years to finally get over that hump and be a guaranteed playoff-level team.

Next: Who should the Nuggets try to sign in free agency?

The organization owes it to the fans to see more success and improvement in the upcoming season, and the fastest and most sensible way to come about that is by adding that star our team has been missing. Could Paul Millsap, the All-Star Denver are frontrunners to sign in NBA free agency, be that player and a big step in the right direction?