The Denver Nuggets are coming off a season in which they finished with the third seed in the Western Conference and played in the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2009. Along the way, they made history by coming back from 3-1 series deficits in the first round against the Utah Jazz and the second round against the Los Angeles Clippers.
As the Nuggets look to build on a strong 2019-2020 season, the conversation about the title contenders in the West is mostly focused on the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers and the retooled Clippers.
Among those who has been listening is Nuggets All-Star big man Nikola Jokic, who is aware that Denver isn’t getting enough respect even after a deep playoff run. But the 25-year-old Serbian star said Thursday that despite the lack of respect, his only focus is on their team:
“To be honest I don’t care about the Lakers. They will be good obviously.”
Jokic is only focused on the Nuggets
— T.J. McBride (@TJMcBrideNBA) December 3, 2020
“Even now they are talking about how the Clippers lost, not how we won.”
“Just because someone doesn’t give us respect doesn’t mean we listen to their opinions. We know how good we are.”
-Nikola Jokic’s answer to not getting national respect still.
— T.J. McBride (@TJMcBrideNBA) December 3, 2020
The defending champion Lakers were able to add Dennis Schroder, Wesley Matthews, Montrezl Harrell, and Marc Gasol. They also made waves with new deals for LeBron James and Anthony Davis. L.A. beat Denver in the Western Conference Finals in five games en route to title No. 17, and back-to-back titles are looking like a strong possibility.
After blowing that 3-1 lead against the Nuggets, the Clippers added shooting guard Luke Kennard and big man Serge Ibaka in the offseason. There has also been a lot of talk about the problems in LA's locker room and how that caused the choke against Denver. The Clippers hired Tyronn Lue to help fix those chemistry issues.
Despite all the noise surrounding the Lakers and Clippers, Jokic and the Nuggets should still feel good about their chances this season even after the departure of Jerami Grant, as they also didn’t stand pat in the offseason, signing former Clipper JaMychal Green and bringing in Facundo Campazzo from Real Madrid. The team also drafted R.J. Hampton and Zeke Nnaji, which should also improve the supporting cast around their All-Stars.
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