Denver Nuggets: 5 keys to contending in 2018-19

The Denver Nuggets sit second in the Western Conference, and they’re looking to make some noise in the playoffs. This is how they will get that done.

After a narrow win over the New Orleans Pelicans, the Denver Nuggets are now 35-15, which is good enough for second in the Western Conference. The Golden State Warriors have been the best team in the NBA over the last month, but luckily for the Nuggets, they look poised to break their five-year playoff drought.

However, ending the drought isn’t enough, as the ultimate quest is always raising the Larry O’Brien trophy.

The Nuggets have the luxury of being still young and developing, whereas the majority of contending teams are in their primes and on the back end of their careers. There are only four players on the team with more than five years of NBA experience. They have room to grow, but they can make some noise in the playoffs this season by focusing on what they have done well to this point in the season.

They grade out as a top-10 group on offense and defense, and they have the pieces to take them to the next level without sacrificing the future. The key at the deadline will be focusing on adding pieces that will help them this year without affecting their future. This team has jelled very well, so it is not necessary for them to be overly aggressive. This group came along sooner than expected, so let’s take a look at how they’ve done it.