The Denver Nuggets are a real example of believing in the impossible. A team that wasn’t in the favorites to win the championship, managed to climb to the top and win it all.
They proved that they are on the top of the NBA league in style, after beating the Miami Heat in five games, and only had four losses in the playoffs. The Denver Nuggets demolished the competition in 2023, but what about this year?
Is it possible to achieve back-to-back rings? Well, the ring itself, should act as a motivation to climb to the top of the championship this season. The Championship rings players got was first of its kind, and truly magnificent to behold. But it is not only about the ring, it is also about the story behind it!
But this season will be different. The Denver Nuggets athletes will be playing with some Championship weight on their shoulders, and many people will be expecting a lot from them. Especially from Nikola Jokic – Joker, for whom nobody has the answer from their opponents.
Despite being one of the best professional sports teams in Colorado, it is going to be a tough season if they want to repeat their success.
Let’s explore the possibility of the Denver Nuggets winning the Championships again.
Reasons Why The Denver Nuggets Will Be Back-to-Back Champions
It is a Young Team
Jamal Murray is 26 years old and Nikola Jokic is 28. Four additional Nuggets key players are slated to suit up for the team until the 2024-25 season, with no distractions from contract extensions.
Reggie Jackson, the Denver Nuggets’ oldest player, is 33 years old, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is only 30. Because of how they structured their contracts, the Nuggets will be title contenders for at least the next three years.
On top of that, there’s a good case to be made that none of Murray, Porter, or Gordon have reached their individual ceilings. In their careers, none of them have been named All-Star. Murray has skills to play for as he seeks his first All-NBA selection, while MPJ is eager to show basketball fans his potential following a bad shooting performance in the NBA Finals.
They Are Rested
The Denver Nuggets have no players competing in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, and they will return to training camp with a healthy roster. Jamal Murray declined to play for Canada, and Nikola Jokic declined to play for Serbia. Aaron Gordon, along with Michael Porter Jr., is certainly a good forward to battle against the FIBA bigs, but neither represented Team USA.
Injuries were the Nuggets’ major obstacle in the playoffs in the years leading up to their victory. The biggest contribution for any player on this team is availability, and the Nuggets are set to make another deep run.
The Chemistry Is Even Better
The Denver Nuggets came into the 2022-23 season healthy and dodged the injury bug until the playoffs. After injuries to Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray in previous seasons, this was the first year for their players to gel.
Another year of playing together will only strengthen their friendship, and this team’s chemistry will only improve as time goes on.
Nobody Is Stopping Jokic
Despite how hectic the NBA summer has been, the Nuggets continue to hold the highest card in the league. No club has acquired a big guy capable of slowing down Nikola Jokic.
Kristaps Porzingis is all attack. Nurkic, Jusuf? You can guarantee that the two-time MVP will not be clamped by his predecessor, no matter how driven Nurkic is. Rui Hachimura worked for a quarter or two in May, and then LeBron James did as well, but Los Angeles already understands that trying one coverage for a whole series is pointless.
Reasons Why Denver Nuggets Won’t Be Champions
Few Player Options
Like last season, the Nuggets’ choices at center following Jokic remain limited. Zeke Nnaji is expected to be the MVP’s primary backup, but he’s prone to injuries and is small for an NBA five. DeAndre Jordan is invaluable in terms of team camaraderie, but he’s clearly not the All-NBA player he was seven years ago.
The Competition Is Tougher
The Suns converted their big two into a big three by trading for Bradley Beal, who led the NBA in points per game for two seasons (2019-20 and 2020-21). As a result of Phoenix’s blockbuster, the Warriors went out and signed Chris Paul.
So, the Bucks formed one of the most exciting superstar duos in years. On the other hand, the Celtics used the leftovers of that deal to acquire Jrue Holiday, rounding off an offseason that already contained Porzingis. The Lakers were also efficient, adding NBA Finals MVP Gabe Vincent on top of re-signing Austin Reaves.
It will be really interesting to see how the Denver Nuggets will match with the higher competition this year.
No Injury Luck May Run Out
Injury is an unavoidable component of the game. Every team can strive for a perfect season in terms of health, but no club can escape setbacks forever.
Just ask Murray and Porter, who fought tirelessly to recover from their injuries and remain healthy last season. Following a short offseason, the Nuggets’ next 82 games and change will be physically challenging.
This means that the back-to-back championship goal can be ruined by one injury from a key athlete. The NBA is an unpredictable sport, and things can change drastically from a single event.