The Denver Nuggets truly had a magical 2020 postseason run that saw them defy expectations and pull out surprises time and time again. Now that the Nuggets' season is over after losing to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, head coach Michael Malone told his players to use this defeat as fuel to remain hungry and not stay satisfied with reaching the Western Conference Finals this year.
Michael Malone said his message to the Nuggets after the WCF loss: “Remember this feeling. I think all great teams and champions have to go through the pains of losing… I wouldn’t want to be with any other group.”
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) September 27, 2020
Malone, continued: “You tip your hat, give (the Lakers) credit and use this as motivation for next year, and not be satisfied with making the WCF, the goal is to still win a championship.” https://t.co/vd8ruASFOZ
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) September 27, 2020
The Nuggets made a ton of progress this year in terms of their growth and development as a team. However, losing is a necessary pain that nearly everyone experiences before they can reach their ultimate goal of winning a championship.
Denver has been making steady strides, especially over the last couple of seasons. After missing the 2018 playoffs by just one game, the Nuggets secured the second seed in the 2018-19 season and made it as far as Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
A year later, despite not being favorites to even make the conference finals, Denver shocked the world by eliminating the heavily favored Los Angeles Clippers. The Nuggets did so in historic fashion via 3-1 comeback, which they also did in their first-round series against the Utah Jazz.
Though their season ended in disappointing fashion at the hands of the Lakers, this certainly isn't the end of the road for them. In fact, this is just the beginning of their journey. Denver's two stars, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, are just 25 years old and 23 years old, respectively. The Nuggets have a promising young stud in Michael Porter Jr., who showed massive upside in this playoff run.
The future is bright in Denver. They will be back and will be more dangerous than ever in the future after this incredible run.
Follow Us
Subscribe