Michael Malone has hefty goal for Denver Nuggets ahead of new NBA season

Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone has some bold aspirations for his team. After winning the franchise’s first-ever NBA title last season, Malone now wants the Nuggets to become a dynasty.

It’s something that he’s mentioned multiple times this week.

“If we’re going to try and be a team that can repeat,” Malone said on Tuesday (h/t Harrison Wind). “If we’re going to try and be a team that can be a dynasty, like Golden State, like San Antonio, we have to have a standard of excellence each and every day.”

Is it realistic for the Denver Nuggets to become a dynasty?

Yes.

First and foremost, Denver is a team that’s set up for success for years to come. They’ve got Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and Aaron Gordon all under contract for at least this season and the next.

All four of those guys — specifically Jokic and Murray — led the way for the Nuggets last spring.

The Serbian big man is one of the most dominant players NBA fans have seen recently, in terms of how many different ways he can impact a game.

On the way to Denver’s title, Jokic was an absolute monster. He averaged 30 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game while shooting 54.8% from the field and 46.1% from long range.

His unselfish dominance is something that many players around the league would love to benefit from. It certainly could lead to veteran free agents electing to head to the Mile-High City with hopes of having their game elevated by the Joker.

As for Murray, he’s continued to fly under the national radar despite being a significant contributor to the Nuggets. In the playoffs, he played what may have been the best ball of his career. The Canadian guard averaged a cool 26.1 points, 7.1 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per contest. He did so in an efficient fashion too, shooting 47.3% from the field and 39.6% from long range.

If he’s able to earn his first All-NBA selection this season, Murray will be eligible for a supermax extension with Denver, which would allow the team to offer him a five-year, $305 million deal.

With their current core of great players, the Nuggets don’t look to be slowing down anytime soon.