Nuggets biggest worry should be about this in quest to win another championship

All the rage in Nuggets land is about the team’s offseason; what moves they’ll make and not make and how the roster will look different next season. Trade and free agency rumors are running rampant, and mock drafts and ideas have been coming out left and right.

Most of the discourse is centered around what the Nuggets can do to improve, how they can improve the bench, and bolster their overall depth. Unfortunately, the team doesn’t have much money to spend nor many assets to deal for reliable players.

Realistically, the best path forward for the Nuggets is likely to try to bring Kentavious Caldwell-Pope back on a new deal, add solid role players through free agency and the draft, and more or less run it back with a very similar team next season.

Nuggets must be worried about other Western Conference rosters as much as their own

As much as it has felt like the Nuggets have had the best team in the league the past two seasons, just maintaining that level may not be good enough. It obviously wasn’t good enough this season as the team fell to the Timberwolves in a hard-fought seven-game playoff series.

The Wolves aren’t going anywhere and 22-year-old superstar Anthony Edwards is only going to get better. Besides the Wolves, the Mavericks and Thunder are clearly on the rise as well and should only improve. The Thunder were the one seed this season and have one of the youngest rosters in the entire league plus a litany of assets and draft capital to keep building.

The Mavericks bounced the Wolves in the West Finals and their star Luka Doncic hasn’t even reached his prime yet. The top of the Western Conference was already loaded this season and the Nuggets have the oldest roster of the bunch. On top of that, there are several young teams on the verge of vaulting into contention.

Wembanyama and other young stars are coming

The Spurs and Victor Wembanyama will be a force sooner than later, the Rockets made big strides and are only a move or two away, and the Pelicans have a strong young core built around Zion Williamson. Veteran teams like the Clippers, Lakers, and Suns are certainly going to keep pushing for titles as well.

Plus, there are wild card teams like the Grizzlies, who were the 2 seed last season when healthy and should be back at that level next season. The Jazz have a solid young roster and Danny Ainge is dying to make a big move. The West is stacked and full of teams that will keep improving. If the Nuggets can’t find ways to fortify their own roster, the conference may pass them by before they know what hit them.