Denver Nuggets: 5 things that happened in 2021
By Liam Clark
The Denver Nuggets had quite a successful 2021 campaign, even if they did not come out with a championship to prove it. A young team on the rise continued to develop its star talents in Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, while the emergence of players such as Michael Porter Jr. and Facundo Campazzo played key roles throughout the year.
From career nights to key victories against competitive teams, the Nuggets have continued to show during 2021 that they are one of the best teams in the world. Through the ups and downs, the team continued to show up and bring it all to every game.
Led by MVP Nikola Jokic and some key moves and development, the Nuggets look set to have another big year in 2022. While a lot of things happened in the franchise this past year, some were more important than others and will have an impact for years to come.
Here are five of the key points for the Denver Nuggets this past calendar year:
Michael Porter Jr. signs his max extension with the Denver Nuggets
Michael Porter Jr. was considered a steal in the draft for the Nuggets back in 2018. Injuries had pushed him down in the draft after he was considered a top prospect. After slowly getting back into his rhythm once making his way into the NBA, 2021 was the year he finally started to find his game in the absence of Jamal Murray.
Porter Jr. was crucial during the Nuggets latter season campaign in the 2020-21 season and the subsequent playoffs. This helped the young star in the making ink a massive extension with the team, despite his injury history.
The 23-year-old signed a five year, $207 million extension from his rookie contract, despite trade rumours early in the season. Porter Jr. will have to work to prove that he is worth the extension, but his potential certainly is through the roof.