The Denver Nuggets have more than lived up to the hype through the first part of the season.
Coming into the new NBA season, many analysts and experts were high on the Denver Nuggets and for good reason.
They came into the year boasting a new and improved second unit with the additions of Monte Morris, Michael Porter Jr., and Isaiah Thomas to go along with the current second unit players.
Not to mention, the Nuggets’ starting unit has another of year under their belt and their experience and chemistry with each other will go a long way towards their potential success this season.
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So far, Denver is the second best, arguably the best, team in the Western Conference sitting at a win loss record of 7-1. What is scary is that the Nuggets are doing this well and have not even played anywhere near their ceiling. Through the first three games of the season, they showcased some great defensive ability holding their opponents to under 100 points which included the defending champion Golden State Warriors.
Nikola Jokic has been doing his usual Nikola Jokic things including already achieving a triple double and averaging an offensive rating of 129 and a career high defensive rating of 99 while Paul Millsap is bouncing back nicely. Millsap recently had a game winning shot over the Chicago Bulls and is averaging a defensive rating of 101, the best since his 2014-15 season in this category.
Gary Harris and Jamal Murray have been solid, but strangely enough, they have struggled from three point territory. Harris is only shooting 27% from deep so far and Murray is shooting 27% from downtown as well. The good news is, they are both still producing points at an efficient rate (18.8 points per game and 15.3 points per game) and the team is still finding ways to win games despite their struggles from three, something which was a staple for them last season.
Denver is also one of the top rebounding teams in the league right now sitting at 8th place in rebounding so far. The numbers show the Nuggets are living up to their potential and could even get better as the season progresses so far, which is a scary thought for the rest of the NBA.
Even though it is only through 8 games, the Denver Nuggets’ fan base should be excited for how the rest of the season will pan out for the young and budding core.