The Denver Nuggets are aiming for no less than an NBA championship this season. They currently have the best win-loss record in the Western Conference and have won seven of their last 10 games. They also have MVP favorite Nikola Jokic. What's next for the Nuggets? Here are some bold Nuggets predictions for the rest of their season after the 2023 NBA All-Star Break.
The top spot in the West has been held by several different teams this season, but the Nuggets have held it the longest and the latest. Of course, much of this is because of the eye-popping numbers of Nikola Jokic, who might win his third MVP by the season's end. The production of guys like Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Michael Porter, Jr. have been crucial, too. Murray and Porter, in particular, have really made their presence felt after combining for just 57 games played total last season. With both those guys relatively healthy, the Nuggets have really been able to heat up.
And now the additions of Thomas Bryant via the trade deadline and Reggie Jackson via the buyout market potentially make them even stronger. In the two games so far where he's played significant minutes for Denver, Bryant has averaged 9.0 points and 3.5 rebounds. Those are not going to jump out off the page, but they're still solid for Jokic's main backup in the middle. As for Jackson, he becomes the primary backup to Jamal Murray in the backcourt and becomes Denver's top-scoring option off the bench.
As for the rest of the Nuggets and how their season will fare, let's see.
Let's look at our Nuggets bold predictions for the rest of their season.
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4. Nuggets reach 57 wins again
The Nuggets have 23 games to go in the season. About half of those games will be against teams we may consider deep-playoff contenders like the Cavs, Grizzlies, Clippers, Bucks, Sixers, and Suns. As for the other half, well, Denver should not have much trouble winning those games as long as they stay relatively healthy. We have the Nuggets winning anywhere from 16-17 of their remaining games. That means they should tally 57 wins by the season's end, which would tie their 2012-13 season win total. They finished in third place in the West that season only to lose to the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the postseason. This time around, those 57 wins should be enough for them to win the West and make a much deeper run.
3. Jamal Murray's production picks up in the playoffs
Jamal Murray has had issues with his right knee of late. He even missed the Nuggets' last game before the All-Star Break. Still, he recently stated that he will play against the Cavs on Thursday as action resumes. Murray has actually missed the last six games for Denver, but he was able to receive plenty of rest over the All-Star Break and was ready to participate in practice on Tuesday. Bruce Brown performed an excellent job stepping in for Murray, but Murray is the real No. 2 behind Jokic on this squad.
2. Nikola Jokic wins third MVP award
Nuggets are 17-0 this season when Nikola Jokic has a triple-double 🃏 pic.twitter.com/8xtvhp8wLP
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 3, 2023
Nikola Jokic has had a truly impressive season so far. He is averaging a triple-double and is leading the team with the best record in the West. Not surprisingly, this has made him a strong contender for the MVP award. And yet, despite Jokic's numbers, Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo are also still in the running. Keep in mind that Embiid's Philadelphia 76ers are only three games behind in the Eastern Conference and Antetokounmpo's Milwaukee Bucks are on a 12-game winning streak. The three players and their teams are all competing for the No. 1 seed in their conferences, making this year's MVP race one to watch. Still, when everything is said and done, we have Jokic winning his third MVP. The Nuggets should hold on to the best record out West, and he should maintain his triple-double numbers throughout the rest of the regular season.
1. Nuggets lose in the Western Conference Finals
As good as the Nuggets have been and as excellent as Jokic has been, they won't end up as NBA champions this season. They will go far, sure — as far as the Western Conference Finals — but no further. We have the Nuggets finishing as the first seed in the West, and we have them beating either the Wolves or the Warriors in the first round. After that, they should face the Clippers in the second round, whom they should also beat. The Nuggets will then face the Suns in the conference finals, where, sorry to say, Denver will fall short. Jokic will continue to be awesome, but they just won't have enough on the defensive end to foil the Suns' high-powered offense featuring Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and Deandre Ayton.
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