The Nuggets have been on a heater, winners of six in a row, and they're finally starting to look like the team everybody thought they were before the season began. But if they want to advance in the playoffs and beat the top two teams in the West, the Spurs and the Thunder, the supporting cast needs to be more consistent. If that happens, the ceiling is a title.
We all know how good Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are together, and the All-Star duo is having incredible seasons. Murray is shooting at a career-high clip, and it's propelled him to a career-best 25.5 points per game. Jokic is having what could be his best season, leading the NBA in both rebounds and assists.
The legendary duo is not the question mark for the Nuggets going into the playoffs. Their two-man game is unmatched. There is no stopping them. Unless you force the ball out of their hands.
The supporting cast needs to step up
Adam Mares and Tim Legler had a conversation about the best duos in the NBA playoffs on the newest "All-NBA Podcast," and surprisingly, Legler had Joker and Murray third, behind Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum of the Celtics, and Jaylin Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder.
But it was what Mares said about the way to defend the Nuggets duo that made your head turn. "I just don't think there is a defense you can throw at them other than let's force the ball into Christian Braun's hands, or into somebody else's hands," said Mares.
And therein lies the X Factor. The supporting cast. Mares isn't wrong. Jokic and Murray can only do so much. When Jokic finds someone open, which has been happening a lot, the supporting cast needs to knock down the shots.
Braun is the weakest link at the moment
For the month of March, Braun only shot 31.6% from three, and he's shooting a paltry 29.8% on the season. That's got to change. It's the lowest mark of anyone who plays big minutes on the team. Braun's been getting a lot of open looks, and if he can even up his rate to 35%, it could open the floor up for the others.
Cameron Johnson was getting left open left and right, but he's stepped up his game. Cam's been hitting big threes, and he's shot 48% from three over his last 10 games to go along with a solid 14 points per game.
The biggest boost to the supporting cast may be the return of Peyton Watson. Watson adds a level of defense the Nuggets have been missing, and his offense is top-notch as well. P-Wat's averaging 13 points on 40% from three-point range in his first four games back from injury.
The talent at the top is still, maybe, probably, the best in the league with Jokic and Murray. If the supporting cast goes Bill Belichick and does their job, the Nuggets have a title-winning ceiling.