After a disappointing finish to last season, the Denver Nuggets are prime for another groundbreaking campaign in the upcoming 2021-2022 NBA Season. Last year was an incredible year with Nikola Jokic winning his first-ever MVP trophy while third-year forward Michael Porter, Jr. broke out of his shell and stepped up big time amidst the absence of their playmaker Jamal Murray. Murray tore his ACL last April and, simply put, the Nuggets didn't look the same from thereon.
Though luck wasn't on their side last year, it seems as though the Denver Nuggets are ready for a massive comeback to show the entire league that last season wasn't a fluke and that they're ready to establish themselves as a legitimate title contender coming into the next season.
Here are three way-too-early bold predictions for the Nuggets' 2021-2022 NBA season:
3. Nikola Jokic wins back-to-back MVP
Last season, the 26-year-old Serbian snagged his first-ever MVP trophy in convincing fashion. Jokic was the 2020-2021 unanimous MVP after getting 971 total votes while Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers finished at second with an overall tally of just 586. And with the way his numbers have been on a steady trajectory going up, it won't be crazy to imagine the six-foot-eleven playmaker lifting his second MVP trophy once the next season wraps up.
Nikola Jokic is a special kind of athlete. As much as I hate to use the term, The Joker is a generational talent, and the Nuggets franchise struck gold after picking him up as the 41st pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Though it took some time before Jokic found his game, it was definitely worth the wait as the unconventional center has now propelled himself as one of the most unstoppable forces in the NBA. And the scary part is, he's just getting started.
Nikola Jokic is a generational talent 👏 pic.twitter.com/yE1Kn5auyo
— Nuggets Nation (@NuggetsNationCP) March 29, 2021
Looking at his numbers, this prediction doesn't really seem all that bold. Jokic has proven that he has what it takes to breeze through another stellar season as the Nuggets playmaker and it would take a special season from any of the other candidates to take this trophy away from The Joker.
2. MPJ makes his first All-Star nod
Last season, there were a ton of expectations on 23-year-old Michael Porter, Jr. After an impressive showing during the 2020 playoffs in the NBA Bubble, MPJ was way better than advertised this past season as he cemented himself as one of the most promising young stars in the league. With Murray sitting out the latter part of the season as well as the playoffs, MPJ proved that he wasn't shying away from the opportunity. The Missouri native balled out all of last season and was one of the most consistent pieces in head coach Michael Malone's roster averaging a steady 19 points per game while shooting an incredible 44.5 from beyond the arc.
Basing it on his career so far, it wouldn't be surprising if MPJ squeezes himself into his first-ever All-Star nod this season. With Jamal Murray presumably still being out for the first half of the season, Porter has all the reason to make a splash early in his fourth year in the league. With Nikola Jokic calling the shots look for MPJ to take over during stretches and absolutely go nuts.
Although it may be tough to grab an All-Star spot especially in the forward position with guys like LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, and even Zion Williamson, Porter will still have a chance as long as he continues to improve and make waves as the Nuggets' go-to guy.
1. Finish as the second seed
After two straight seasons of finishing as the third seed, the Nuggets will look to finish this season as the second seed in the very tough Western Conference. This isn't an impossible feat given that franchise already finished the regular season as the second seed just a few seasons ago which makes this scenario definitely achievable.
If the young Nuggets continue on this incredible growth spurt, there aren't a lot of reasons to see them finishing lower than the second-best team in the West. Take last season for example. Jamal Murray's season-ending injury didn't stop them from gaining homecourt advantage heading into the postseason.
Denver's young core is quite stacked. Jokic is just 26 while Porter and Murray are just 23 and 24 respectively. If this trio remains intact, the ceiling for the squad is as high as they want it to be. Although they didn't make huge acquisitions this offseason, the franchise also didn't let go of much. Last season the Nuggets added Aaron Gordon as well as Austin Rivers which were huge additions to the squad. They've also resigned Will Barton as well as JaMychal Green which makes the Denver Nuggets as solid as ever.
Do not sleep on the Denver Nuggets this season.
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