DENVER — It’d be easier, and far more satisfying, to turn the page to next season when the Nuggets can dream of a playoff run extending well into June.
But there’s a whole offseason to determine how dominant that iteration of the Nuggets can be.
Instead, in the wake of Denver’s 4-1 ouster by Golden State in the first round, it’s informative to audit the season that was and to understand that, in many ways, the Nuggets overachieved.
If teams take on the identity of their best player, the Nuggets couldn’t have done much better than embracing the best attributes of MVP center Nikola Jokic. Despite missing Jamal Murray for the entire season while rehabbing his ACL and Michael Porter Jr. following his exit only nine games into the schedule, the Nuggets won 48 games.
Their regular-season win total surpassed the pre-season betting projection (47.5), which were set assuming Porter would be healthy. Jokic, and his MVP-caliber effort, made up the difference.
The Nuggets’ Game 4 win not only avoided the stench of a sweep, but it underscored how tough this group was mentally. Winning Game 4 wasn’t just a symbolic gesture. Having gained confidence during Games 3 and 4 in Denver, the Nuggets nearly stole Game 5 in San Francisco, as well. It was an about-face that would’ve been impossible to predict for anyone who saw how shell-shocked the Nuggets were leaving The Bay after Games 1 and 2. Overmatched from a talent perspective, the Nuggets acquitted themselves well against a championship contender.
Without Jokic’s stubborn resiliency, they likely don’t even make the play-in tournament.
“Dominant,” veteran Will Barton said of Jokic less than an hour after the season ended. “The best player in the league. The MVP.”
Jokic, who was en route to Serbia less than two days after Denver’s season ended, never allowed the locker room to dwell on what they were missing. If he wasn’t going to feel sorry about the situation — and perhaps no one in the NBA carried more of a physical and mental burden than he did — none of his teammates had a right to complain, either.
“I mean, it was a hell of a season, a tough season,” Nuggets guard Monte Morris said. “I say we beat adversity a lot of the times. Without Mike and Jamal, two great players, we still found ways in tough, hostile situations to win. That shows the character and how good we can be.”
That was the quiet standard Jokic established inside Denver’s locker room. His team-first approach imbued confidence in all of his teammates. In Jokic’s mind, if you were good enough to earn team president Tim Connelly’s trust and talented enough to warrant minutes in coach Michael Malone’s rotation, that was good enough for him.
On Jan. 19, after racking up 49 points and 14 rebounds against the Clippers, Jokic spun away from a double-team and heaved a pinpoint, crosscourt lob to Aaron Gordon, who buried the corner 3-pointer to seal the game in overtime. Gordon, whose perimeter shooting came and went this season, never hesitated.
A month later, facing the same Warriors that ended the Nuggets’ season, Jokic fed Morris on the wing for an exhilarating game-winning 3-pointer that sent Denver into the All-Star break on a high.
“I love playing with him,” Morris said. “He has a lot of confidence in every single one of us. He’s so unselfish. He’ll tell you to come out and look to be aggressive. Always give the ball and things like that. … You don’t find a lot of genuine guys like that.”
When the Nuggets secured their lone win in the playoffs, it was Jokic, again, absorbing attention and then entrusting Barton in the corner for the dagger 3-pointer.
The absences of Murray and Porter stung, but so did the ACL tear P.J. Dozier sustained in late November. The combo guard had become a staple of Malone’s rotation, capable of handling and initiating on offense while proving his defensive chops against numerous positions. The loss exposed Denver’s depth, particularly on the wing. It was a problem they never solved, despite the mid-season trade for Bryn Forbes and the emergence of two-way wing Davon Reed.
Without Porter healthy, 35-year-old Jeff Green assumed starting forward responsibilities and, largely outplayed his $4.5 million contract. When he was signed, he never envisioned the workload that awaited. He had promising moments, flashing rare athleticism for a player his age, but the drop-off from Porter’s 3-point gravity to Green’s was significant.
Porter’s absence also elevated Gordon into a playmaking role that, at times, he wasn’t suited for. Having had a full season to play alongside Jokic and ending his season with strong playoff performances in Games 3, 4 and 5, Gordon has the foundation to be a pivotal factor next season on both ends of the floor. His offseason work, he said, would be dedicated to refining his strengths and working on the cerebral aspects of the game.
The mid-season signing of backup center DeMarcus Cousins, a free agent this summer, became an encouraging storyline throughout the season. As Connelly has done before with last year’s signing of Austin Rivers, he found value where others in the NBA hesitated to look. Rivers, particularly in the playoffs, was a sound defensive piece the Nuggets could use heading into next season.
No Murray meant the spotlight turned to Morris as the primary point guard. He finished the season with career-highs of 12.6 points, 4.4 assists and 3.0 rebounds. Most importantly, his 3-point efficiency (39.5%) didn’t drop off despite an increased workload. Already confident in his abilities, Morris further entrenched himself as one of the core pieces of the Nuggets moving forward.
Rookie Bones Hyland did the same. His emergence as a speedy, playmaking guard with a penchant for knocking down 30-foot 3-pointers ingratiated him to Malone as well as the entire fan base. If Murray had been healthy, the Nuggets never would’ve discovered what they had in him.
As disappointing as their first-round playoff exit was, the cavalry is coming. Next season, the Nuggets should enter the season confident that their competitive spirit never waned, but assured they’ll have the talent to match that drive.
What does the future hold?
“I think it’s scary to think about,” Malone said.
