On the latest episode of the Zach Lowe Show, Zach and his guest, Richard Jefferson, were discussing dark-horse NBA title contenders, and on a side tangent, Lowe explained the Nuggets weren’t eligible for this title because they are a “juggernaut hiding in plain sight”.
Zach and RJ raved about how well the team has played recently without Nikola Jokic. They mentioned how Jamal Murray has even missed a couple of games, and still, the team has mostly played well, a stark contrast from last year.
The point of Lowe’s rant was that we’re seeing great play from guys like Peyton Watson, Jalen Pickett, and Zeke Nnaji, who may not even be in the rotation on a given night if everyone is healthy (that ship has probably sailed for Watson). If even one or two of these young bench players can translate what they’re doing now to a smaller role when the team is at full strength, their depth will not only not be a negative, but it will be a genuine advantage.
Add that to the team’s already proven elite starting lineup led by Jokic, Murray, and Aaron Gordon, and if this team is fully healthy, they are, in Lowe’s words, “An Oklahoma City-level juggernaut”.
National media catching up to Nuggets fans
This isn’t news to Nuggets fans, but to hear such a respected member of the national media go out and say that Denver is on the same level as Oklahoma City is something. But every point they make is apt, and even Thunder fans know it’s true deep down.
Denver took the Thunder to seven games last year and had them on the ropes, and that was with Michael Porter Jr. dragging around an injured shoulder, Aaron Gordon on a bad wheel, and Jamal Murray playing through god knows what?
On top of that, Michael Malone wasn’t trusting any bench players beyond Russell Westbrook, who’s no longer even with the team. Now, the Nuggets have a plethora of bench options, as they’ve added Tim Hardaway Jr., Bruce Brown, Jonas Valanciunas, plus gotten a big leap out of Watson.
If they can just get healthy and get everyone into a rhythm before the playoffs begin, there’s no reason to think this team can’t go toe-to-toe with anyone, and that includes the Thunder. Nuggets fans have known this all along, and now Zach is joining the party. It’s only a matter of time until others follow.