It’s clear that the Denver Nuggets can contend for a Western Conference title if healthy, but they’ll need a couple more pieces to contend for a Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Nikola Jokic put this Denver roster on his back last season and won his second league MVP by having the greatest single season in NBA history. Denver made it to the postseason as the 6th seed, but fell short against the eventual champion Golden St. Warriors.
Against Golden St., Denver didn’t have the fire power to compete and lost the series in five games.
Obviously, the Nuggets lost two of their three max-contract players in Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. last season due to season long injuries. Would those two have been the difference in the series and led the Nuggets past Golden St., Memphis, and Dallas? Probably not.
Denver is close, but not quite over the hump yet, despite what the oddsmakers are saying.
Last season’s Nuggets roster had a ton of holes that needed to be filled. Honestly it looked like a sinking ship with Jokic putting tape over every hole to try and prevent it from sinking. Eventually is sank because the team wasn’t deep enough.
Of course, the return of Murray and Porter Jr. will help, but this team has two really important positions that need to be filled.
3-Point Specialist:
For years I’ve been saying that Denver needs to add an elite shooter from 3-point range. Denver attempted to solve that issue this season with Bryn Forbes, but that was an absolute disaster.
Last season, the Nuggets shot 35.3% from three which ranked 16th in the NBA.
With Murray and Porter Jr. coming back that shooting percentage will go up, but the Nuggets need someone who can sit in the corner and hit that big shot late in the game or make a shot to stop the opposing team’s run.
Bones Hyland could turn into an elite three-point shooter, but he also wants to be a play maker on offense. Denver needs a pure shooter.
Thinks JJ Redick or Kyle Korver. Both players are retired, but their whole focus was to hit three’s when needed.
Seth Curry could be a realistic option for Denver to acquire in a trade. Curry is entering the final season of his contract with the Brooklyn Nets and only has a cap hit of $8.4 million.
If Kyrie Irving plans to leave and Brooklyn is willing to start a rebuild, they could look to move Curry.
Curry is coming off his best season averaging 15 points per game and has shot 44% from three over his career.
Center:
Denver has the best center in basketball, but the Nuggets are going to need to add another center or two to help add some depth.
Midway through last season, Denver went out and signed DeMarcus Cousins to a 10-day contract that eventually turned into a contract for the rest of the season.
Cousins was a positive addition and made big plays in big-time games. In fact, Cousins became one of the fan favorites in Denver. The former All-Star isn’t the same player he was with Sacramento, but Cousins was solid for the Nuggets and has a great relationship with head coach, Michael Malone.
It wouldn’t shock anyone if the Nuggets re-sign Cousins to a cheap deal, but they should still target a better option.
Guys like Tristan Thompson, Hassan Whiteside, or even Ivica Zubac would be perfect for the Nuggets when Jokic is out. All three players would be cheaper options on the open market.
Thompson and Whiteside can rebound the ball effectively and block shots. Something Denver doesn’t have.
Zubac is a smart player around the rim who can get you 10-12 points per night and between 8-10 rebounds.
If the Nuggets want to get over the hump this season, they are going to need to continue going into the luxury tax and spend more on these two important positions. They have the scorers and the best player in the league, they just need a little bit of more help to make sure their ship doesn’t sink short of a championship once again.
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