After last season’s disappointing round two playoff exit, it was clear that the Nuggets were a player or two short. They ran out of gas, relying on a lineup with no reliable depth, and they understandably hit a wall. Kudos to the new front office. They quickly recognized the issue and added three players this summer who should help fortify the depth and keep the team fresh.
Normally, a team as talented and championship-proven as the Nuggets, which just took the Thunder to a hard-fought seventh game, would be favored to win it all after making such tremendous improvements.
Just think about it: The team with the best player in the world was one half away from knocking the Thunder out of the playoffs. That team totally overhauled its biggest weakness in the offseason, yet multiple teams are still projected to finish ahead of it this season.
Thunder and Rockets aren’t going anywhere
The problem for the Nuggets is that their chief competition also had great offseasons. The team everyone is chasing, the Thunder, didn’t lose a single piece from their championship rotation. All of their best players are a year older and a year closer to their prime.
Just with natural internal growth, this juggernaut squad should be able to take a leap and get even better. They also have last year’s 10th overall pick, Nikola Topic, back healthy and ready to jump into the mix as well. As good as they were last season, there’s a chance that OKC is even more dominant this season.
Then there’s Houston, which finished second in the Western Conference last season behind a gritty attitude and tenacious defense. They stumbled in the playoffs due to a weak half-court offense, but they went out and acquired one of the greatest half-court weapons in NBA history in Kevin Durant.
They also should see plenty of internal growth with their young talents like Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun (who just had a great EuroBasket), Jabari Smith Jr., Reed Shepherd, and others. This team was set to take a big leap even without any transactions, but adding KD should bring them to another level.
So, while it’s bizarre to see a team like the Nuggets improve so much, they still may find themselves looking up at multiple other teams in their own conference. This isn’t to pour cold water on the great Denver offseason, but it’s a reminder that this conference is going to be absolutely stacked this season.