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Thursday 28 May 2020 12:11, UK
The Denver Nuggets, propelled by Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and the emergence of young forward Michael Porter Jr, are developing into a genuine playoff threat, says Ovie Soko.
Denver Nuggets
Season record: 43-22
Third place in Western Conference
The Nuggets are a really interesting squad. They fly under the radar a little bit. Everyone knows how talented they are but, in the Western Conference, they can sometimes be overshadowed by the teams with typically-flashy superstars like LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Russell Westbrook.
That's not to say Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray aren't doing their thing. The Nuggets are the third-best team in the West and have been up there all season. You'd expect a team in that position to be talked about more.
Jokic won't wow you with flashy stuff, but he will wow you with how exceptionally smart he is, his fundamentals, his astonishing passing ability... all things that can sometimes be overlooked. But make no mistake, he is a big-time player in this league. I don't think he gets his 'fair-do's' of praise.
Jokic doesn't strike me as the type of player who overthinks things or goes home and tortures himself with game film. When you are playing against a guy who doesn't fear messing up because the game is not life or death to him, that player is dangerous. Having no fear of making mistakes combined with his degree of talent allows Jokic's talent to manifest itself in such a free-flowing way.
Murray has shown flashes of his ability as a player and a playmaker since he came into the league but this year we saw it more consistently. He came back from injury and started torching guys, scoring 23.6 points a game in February (almost five more than his season average).
I feel like the Nuggets have taken steps forward this year. Young forward Michael Porter Jr is coming along. A lot of people possibly counted him out. He missed his entire rookie season with a back injury, something that also affected where he was drafted. At one point, he was ranked as the No 1 player in his draft class, but that back injury scared away a lot of teams and he dropped and dropped and dropped in the 2018 Draft.
This season we have seen flashes of play from Porter that are massively positive for the Nuggets. Depending on how he continues to develop, his presence could ultimately make that Denver starting five a unit to be reckoned with. With Murray at guard, with Porter on the wing and Jokic inside, they would have a really, really solid core to build around.
Denver have a good mix of youth, guys who have been around a couple of years like Will Barton and veteran experience from very solid guys like Paul Millsap. Adding a fully fit Porter to that mix could really tip the scales for the Nuggets.
Porter can develop into a very versatile scorer for Denver. Having that extra firepower going into the playoffs - that extra athleticism from a 6ft 10in guy - is extremely useful and potentially changes the game. He has the potential to be a much more important piece than people will give him credit for.
There are so many young guys around the league - Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Trae Young, Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram - playing their backsides off that it is easy to overlook a big talent like Porter. He is a huge talent, a confident kid, and if Denver can draw it out of him, there's no reason they can't compete for that top spot in the West in future.
Another thing I've loved about this Nuggets team this year is how well coached they are by Mike Malone. They are a super-disciplined team. You see them playing at different types of pace at different times.
They have the ability to grind games out when they need to, play good halfcourt basketball and get good shots consistently. That translates well into playoff basketball.
Think about the 98-95 win they had just seven fit players against the Utah Jazz in February. You can only do things like that when you are well-coached, are a disciplined team and know how to play possession basketball. They can slow things down, don't need a whole bunch of fast-break points and can find good shots in the last 10 seconds of the shot clock. Being able to do that always gives you a chance.
We know Jokic is a top-level talent. This season Murray has shown his ability to be a top-level guard. If Porter becomes a top-level wing player, that three/four combo forward, then the Nuggets become hell to deal with. Opponents have to focus on Jokic, but in addition to being able to score, he can also facilitate for guys around him. He will get good shots for Porter, Barton, all the guys who are on the floor with him.
In that scenario, the Nuggets become a really dangerous team ready to make the jump from being a good regular season team to a genuine threat in the playoffs.
They aren't at that championship-level yet, but I would say they have a core that could take them there if those players continue to grow together.
