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Why Nuggets Could Be Closer to a Championship Than It Seems
Since winning it all in 2023, the Denver Nuggets have been disappointing. Of course, they did their job by winning a championship, but they have failed to follow it up with any real success. In their three playoff runs since, they have been knocked out of the second round twice, and most recently, suffered a first-round exit.
Despite this, the Nuggets could be much closer to getting back into championship conversations than it would seem, even if they have a relatively quiet 2026 offseason.
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are at their best
Of course, the Nuggets are built around their All-NBA duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Granted, there have been some conversations about the Nuggets potentially moving on from Murray, but they have already proven to be one of the best duos in the league and are unlikely to break that up.
This past season, Jokic and Murray both reached their peaks. Sure, Jokic’s production took a hit after a knee injury sidelined him for a month, but Murray had the best season of his career, by far. With both stars in the prime of their careers, it should be the perfect time for Denver to compete for another championship.
If both stars are healthy, the Nuggets are automatically in contention to be one of the Western Conference’s biggest title threats, but it all comes down to their supporting cast.
Depth upgrades?
While the Nuggets might not need to make any huge moves this offseason, improving their depth should be a priority. As the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs face off in the NBA Finals, we see how important depth is. Guys like Dylan Harper, Landry Shamet, and Jose Alvarado are all guys who have come off the bench and made an impact, and the Nuggets need that.
When healthy, the Nuggets actually had a good bench unit this past season. Tim Hardaway Jr., Bruce Brown, Peyton Watson, and Spencer Jones all made an impact, but it just never came together at the right time. Not to mention, with all of their injury problems, it feels like they never had a full bench unit to lean on.
The Nuggets do not need to waste resources breaking up their core this offseason. If they can keep Jokic and Murray together, while simply reinforcing their supporting cast, there is no doubt that they can compete for a championship.
A better defensive mindset
The Nuggets had the 21st-ranked defense in the NBA this season. Despite having the league’s top offense, it could not make up for their poor defense. Granted, even their offense fell apart against a tough Minnesota Timberwolves team in the playoffs, but it is clear that teams need defense to compete for a title.
First, the Nuggets need to actually acquire better defenders. As they look to fill out their roster, they should be searching for defensive-minded role players. Even then, a better supporting cast will not do all the work. Head coach David Adelman needs to make sure his team is fully bought in on the defensive side of the ball next season.
With that, guys like Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon, barring a trade, should be stepping up defensively. If those two are not helping out on the defensive end, their spots in Denver’s lineup become more expendable.
There were far too many defensive lapses in their first-round series that led to easy paint points and open three-pointers, and while better defenders will help that, it also stems from the team’s game plan and mindset.
With some minor tweaks this offseason, again, nothing major, the Nuggets should be back to title contention next season. Unfortunately, the West is only getting tougher, with teams like the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder running the conference, but the Nuggets have all the pieces to compete with the best.
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