What to root for now that the Denver Nuggets are eliminated?

Unfortunately, the injury-riddled 2021-22 campaign for the Denver Nuggets had to come to an end and it came at the end of a five-game series against the Golden State Warriors.

The Nuggets put up a valiant effort but without Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray, the team was never going to make some real noise in the postseason. Despite the lack of Mile High Basketball, there are still games to be played, what should Nuggets fans root for?

The answer to that question is, of course, completely up to you, but treat this as a viewing guide for Denver Nuggets fans who don’t know where to look after being eliminated.

Who should the Denver Nuggets root for? The team playing against Joel Embiid

The first answer is a very easy one for Nuggets fans that have fought plenty-a Twitter fight between the league’s MVP, Nikola Jokic, and the challenger, Joel Embiid.

Let me preface this discussion by saying, all good discourse is done in good spirits. While it’s fun to argue which dominant big man should be the MVP of the league, the chatter between the two parties should always be about bringing forward the best case for each center, not bringing the other down.

That said… it would be nice to see Embiid go down in the playoffs again and give Jokic the upper hand when it comes to playoff performances.

As I’m writing this article, Game 6 is underway between the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors. It could end today and the higher-seeded Sixers could just cruise to a victory, but if they don’t, the Raptors will force a Game 7 after trailing 3-0. If you thought losing after being up 3-1 was embarrassing, wait till you see this…

Embiid has also spent much of this series complaining about the whistle from the refs. It’s not a great look for an MVP candidate who’s playing against a team not built to stop big men.

Joel is getting double and triple-teamed much of this series and while the sheer number of limbs flying all over the place might look like fouls, it’s not like he’s being disrespected. After five games, Joel has taken 49 free throws and put Nick Nurse into some tricky situations with his roster.

Nikola Jokic, Embiid’s biggest competition for an MVP trophy, was seemingly getting the same no-calls against the Golden State Warriors but managed to put up terrific numbers regardless for a much more injured roster.