Everyone knows and acknowledges the greatness of Nikola Jokic, but the abilities of the other Nuggets on the roster have been a point of contention this season. Much has been made of the supporting cast and whether or not the front office has done enough to put Jokic and the team in a position to compete for the championship.
Teams need superstars to win it all, but when the best teams face off, it often comes down to the margins and the role players. Have the Nuggets done enough to give Michael Malone and Nikola Jokic a chance to win those matchups on the margin? That remains the question that will define this season when it’s all said and done.
FanSided recently came out with their NBA 99, a ranked, tiered list of the top 99 players currently in the NBA. To nobody’s surprise, and deservedly so, Nikola Jokic led the way, coming in at #1 overall on the list. But it was the rest of the team’s starters that made things a bit interesting.
All 5 Nuggets starters make NBA 99
After seeing Jokic correctly ranked at #1, Nuggets fans likely wanted to scroll to see how high his teammates were ranked. With any list, there is going to be some healthy debate and squabbling, but overall the biggest takeaway was that all 5 Nuggets starters made the list and were properly respected.
Jamal Murray has fallen off a bit in stature as he was once considered a fringe top-25 player. But that shine has faded in the past year or so and he found himself ranked #47 on this list, right between Jaylen Brown and Desmond Bane, which feels pretty fair. If he keeps up his recent play and helps the team on another playoff run, he should be able to make a big jump in the next rankings.
Next up was Aaron Gordon who came in at #67 on the list. All things considered, this seems fair for AG who has had an up-and-down year and struggled to stay healthy. He’s a very good player and a great fit with the Nuggets, but he has obvious flaws keeping him from the top tiers.
Michael Porter Jr. was slotted at #77 in the NBA 99 which feels pretty reasonable as well. There have been times this season when it looked like he was making a legitimate leap and approaching 2nd/3rd star status, but he’s had a recent dip and hasn’t quite been consistent enough.
Finally, Christian Braun cracked the list at #96. Braun has had a great season as a first-time starter and has even been gaining some buzz for the league’s Most Improved Player Award recently. He probably won’t win that honor, but it’s nice to see him getting some hard-earned attention and this list is just the latest example.
So, for all the talk about the Denver weak supporting cast, they placed all five starters in the NBA 99. When you’ve got the top overall player surrounded by four other top 99 guys, you should at least have a solid chance to contend for a title.