The Denver Nuggets, who were the reigning champions at the time, faced a surprising defeat in the playoffs last April when they were eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Many experts and NBA writers had predicted that the Nuggets would come out on top in this matchup. Despite being the No. 2 seed, with an equal record to the No. 1-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, and having star players Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray performing well during the regular season, Denver struggled against Minnesota.
In Game 1 of their series against the Timberwolves, Denver lost at home. They scored only 80 points in Game 2 despite their opponent missing Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. Although they managed to win three consecutive games after that, they suffered a blowout loss in Game 6 and collapsed after building a significant lead in Game 7.
Since then, there have been concerns about Denver’s immediate future. Questions arise about who will replace Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on the team and whether their bench depth is sufficient. The front office made some interesting signings during the offseason by bringing in veterans Russell Westbrook and Dario Saric while also relying on young players.
Looking back at last season, despite finishing with a better record than their championship-winning season two years ago (57-25), depth was always an issue for Denver as they didn’t receive enough contribution from role players against Minnesota.
As for this upcoming season (2024-25), there are best-case scenarios where new additions like Christian Braun can make up for Caldwell-Pope’s departure and Murray can finally earn All-Star and All-NBA honors. However, worst-case scenarios involve Westbrook struggling with shooting efficiency while highlighting issues such as floor spacing and bench production that cannot be overcome without Murray performing at his best.
The conversation surrounding this team is divided between believers who see potential for success based on past achievements and skeptics who point out potential problems with roster composition and player performance.
Ultimately, it remains to be seen how well Denver will fare this season as they face new challenges without key contributors from previous years’ playoff runs.
