The Denver Nuggets are gearing up for the beginning of the NBA playoffs starting tomorrow afternoon.
The sting of the Denver Nuggets’ crushing loss in the second round of the playoffs to the Portland Trail Blazers last postseason still lingers in the minds of fans everywhere. The Nuggets were oh-so-close to returning to a place they hadn’t been since the days of Carmelo Anthony and George Karl.
Now, a season later and with minimal roster turnover, the Nuggets are starting a new playoff campaign, this time under unfamiliar circumstances. For the first time, the NBA will not have screaming fans adding to an already tense atmosphere on the floor. The Nuggets added one significant piece in the offseason, that being Jerami Grant.
Grant has performed well over the course of the season, and particularly stood out throughout the team’s play to this point in the bubble. Grant will be a huge part of the equation for the Nuggets in the postseason.
Saying it is important to win game one is not the hardest of hard takes, I know. But it especially rings true for the Nuggets. Denver barely squeaked by the San Antonio Spurs in game seven last year, and then dropped the deciding game to Portland a series later. Jumping out to an early lead as the favorite will go a long way towards putting any past playoff demons in the rearview mirror and establish a certain confidence that will carry throughout the series and potentially beyond.
Preventing the NBA-leading 3-point shooting team by percentage from getting too hot an early hand will be a crucial piece of the puzzle. Both teams will not be at full strength, as Gary Harris and Will Barton remain out for the Nuggets. Ed Davis is missing the game due to injury, while Mike Conley made headlines after it was revealed that he left the bubble to return home for the birth of his child.
As a result, the Nuggets appear to have the edge at point guard. But this series will be decided in the paint between Nikola Jokic and Rudy Gobert. It all starts tomorrow at 1:30 PM ET.