The Nuggets had a repulsive first-round playoff exit last season to a battered and bruised Timberwolves team. Then, they followed it up with an even worse offseason that made it feel like the sky was falling. And yet, as things stand, the Nuggets still can’t be ruled out as championship contenders going into the 2026-27 season.
The Ringer backed up this notion on Monday as Michael Pina ranked all 30 NBA teams based on regular-season and playoff potential. He placed the Nuggets 8th overall in the league and fourth among teams in the Western Conference, in a tier called “Title Contenders With a Puncher’s Chance”.
And honestly, that sounds like the perfect way to describe this Nuggets team. Nobody is suggesting they are on the level of the Thunder or Spurs, but after those clear-cut favorites, Denver has as good a shot as anyone.
Nuggets labeled title contender in Ringer power rankings
If everything goes right (and that’s a big if), they have a proven championship pedigree, they have the best player in the world in Nikola Jokic, who gives them a legitimate chance in every game they play, and they have a proven number two and three in Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon.
Granted, we haven’t exactly seen this team put it all together in the playoffs since the title run in 2023, but we have seen it. They haven’t had much luck in the seasons since, but we know that the foundation of a title winner is still in there. Nobody can question the top-level talent this team possesses, and if it ever clicks back into place at the right time, they’re still extremely dangerous.
We’ve seen it in bursts, but they haven’t been able to sustain it for long stretches recently. The depth has also taken a hit; the coaching staff has a lot to prove, and the stars are older. But they’ve got the experience and the proof of concept, and that’s more than a lot of other teams can say.
Nuggets are best of West middle class
The Spurs and Thunder seem like obvious favorites in the West, and rightfully so, but we’ve seen how hard it is to get back to the promised land. Beyond that, why should we trust teams like the Rockets, Lakers, and Timberwolves more than Denver?
This Rockets group hasn’t even won a playoff series as currently constructed. The Lakers won a round last year, but their best player in that series was LeBron James, who’s now in Philadelphia. The Wolves have had some success, but they haven’t been able to get over the hump and have completely reconstructed their team in the offseason.
It’s fair to say those teams have some upside, and if things go right, they could make a push, but the same is absolutely true of the Nuggets, and in their case, we’ve actually seen it happen before. No matter how ugly everything else gets, as long as Jokic is on this team, they’ve got a shot.
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