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The Denver Nuggets surprisingly failed to defend their championship last year. After taking care of business against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round, the squad was eliminated in the second round by the up-and-coming Minnesota Timberwolves. Thanks to the Nuggets' exit, it's clear as day that the team needed a supporting cast surrounding their three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, as the starters basically ran out of gas in the postseason.
Heading into the 2024-2025 season, the Nuggets did make some roster moves. However, in the process, they also failed to keep the services of important pieces. It's safe to say that the Nuggets will continue to have a depth problem during the upcoming basketball season which should threaten their 2025 NBA championship chances.
Unable to fill the void of key departures
The Nuggets' depth problem probably started when Bruce Brown took his talents to Indiana. As we all know, Brown would become the missing piece to the puzzle that led to the franchise's first NBA championship. But since his departure, the Nuggets have scrambled to fill his shoes. They initially went with Christian Braun, who initially showed tremendous upside. While he did show some improvements, Braun didn't exactly live up to the bill.
Earlier in the offseason, the Nuggets suffered more key losses in the form of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Jackson. Both of them were key players as well in their 2023 championship team. To counter their key losses, the Nuggets made some roster moves, highlighted by the acquisition of former NBA MVP and triple-double machine Russell Westbrook.
Although Westbrook brings some star power to the team, everyone knows that Westbrook isn't as good as he used to be. Moreover, an additional aging player doesn't exactly give answers to a team that wants to go deep into the playoffs with a healthy roster.
With more departures that came the Nuggets' way, this will force Malone to inject Braun into the starting lineup. This leaves Malone with a questionable second and third unit.
Nuggets' unproven bench
Aside from Russell Westbrook, the Nuggets also signed former first-round draft pick Dario Saric. Westbrook and Saric are expected to lead the bench composed of DeAndre Jordan, Julian Strawther, Hunter Tyson, Vlatko Cancar, and Peyton Watson. Westbrook and Saric will likely be given the most minutes from the Nuggets' second unit.
While Westbrook showed signs of thriving as a backup point guard with the Clippers last year in the playoffs, his fit in Denver remains to be seen. Furthermore, the bench will have holdovers from the championship team in Jordan and Cancar. However, both guys are expected to be productive only in spurts.
This leaves Malone to hope for a breakout season from either Tyson, Strawther, or Watson. Just by looking at these names alone, none of these guys have proven to make a significant impact on a consistent basis for the team. Although the Nuggets' depleted bench gives these young guns a golden opportunity to make a name for themselves, it's not exactly an ideal bench to support the championship window of Nikola Jokic's MVP years.
Jamal Murray woes
There's no question that every superstar needs a great supporting cast, even reigning three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. Unfortunately, his running mate Jamal Murray has struggled to stay healthy. Last year, after an emphatic first-round series against the Lakers that saw him sink two game-winners, Murray was quickly shut down in the second round at the hands of the Timberwolves.
Murray struggled with the Timberwolves defense, while also dealing with a myriad of injuries, per Sports Illustrated. Murray finished last year's playoffs shooting 40% from the field overall and 32% from Rainbow Country. With Murray not at 100%, the Nuggets were dispatched by the Timberwolves in seven games.
Murray's woes bled into the Olympic Summer Games in Paris, which saw him struggle mightily for the Canadian national team. Murray only averaged 6.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game on 29% shooting from the field overall. Canada would finish fifth in the Olympics.
It's safe to say that the woes of the NBA champion aren't a good sign for the Nuggets. In fact, as early as the NBA Preseason, Murray's injuries are negatively making an impact once again, as per USA Today.
With the Nuggets bracing for Murray's woes in the upcoming season, this ultimately puts more pressure on the rest of the team to contribute. While it's sure that Jokic will be doing Joker things, the supporting cast needs to step up this year if they want to enjoy another championship run in the near future.
