Denver Nuggets: How does squad fare in Western Conference duo era?

The Denver Nuggets watched several Western Conference foes improve, as a collection of superstar duos took shape. Here’s how Denver’s own tandem compares.

The Denver Nuggets landed a Western Conference No. 2-seed last year, finishing with a 54-28 record. The success came primarily due to the full emergence of superstar Nikola Jokic, who was surrounded by a deep, well-balanced group of scorers.

Immediately following this season, the conference retooled itself in a flurry of exciting moves. Once the dust settled, it became apparent that superstar tandems are the latest phase, as many teams sport this look now.

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The Los Angeles Lakers, for example, have Anthony Davis sharing the court with LeBron James. The Los Angeles Clippers snagged Kawhi Leonard to play alongside newly-acquired forward Paul George.

The Golden State Warriors still have Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, while the Houston Rockets paired James Harden with Russell Westbrook. The list goes on…

Now, as previously mentioned, the Nuggets are built differently. They have less of a dynamic duo mold, shaped more by a Jokic-and-company look. Denver’s strength lies in its franchise superstar and well-rounded supporting cast.

Nonetheless, Jamal Murray‘s strong playoff performance was noteworthy and he proved himself a strong offensive wingman to Jokic. This movement hit its peak in the Western Conference semifinals, as Murray averaged 23.6 points per game in the series.

Due to Murray’s play, Denver’s postseason offense featured a pick-and-roll attack with him and Jokic. This worked nicely, as the Nuggets posted a 113.3 offensive rating in the playoffs, finishing second-highest among all postseason squads.

This raised questions, as Murray has long possessed a superstar upside. Could he join Jokic to create Denver’s own dominant duo? Even if he could, is this Denver’s best style, or does the offense flow better with Jokic and four cutters?

As we dive into these questions, let’s glance at the conferences’ top pairings, and examine how the Jokic-Murray tandem compares:

Eye test – Top 10 Western Conference duos:

1. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George (Los Angeles Clippers)
2. LeBron James and Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers)
3. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors)
4. James Harden and Russell Westbrook (Houston Rockets)
5. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum (Portland Trail Blazers)
6. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets)
7. Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley (Utah Jazz)
8. Kristaps Porzingis and Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)
9. LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan (San Antonio Spurs)
10. Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins (Minnesota Timberwolves)

The Jokic-Murray duo checks in at sixth-best, which may appear to be a stretch. Remember the conference semis, however, when the pair averaged a combined 50.7 points, 19.9 rebounds, and 13.0 assists per game?

This is tough to do in the playoffs, as opposing defenses generally have their best performances at this time.

If Jokic’s (20.1) and Murray’s (18.2) points per game progress from last year, the duo should combine for 40-43 points per game in 2019-20. This scoring would still finish poorly among the Western Conference duos listed above, however.

From a passing and rebounding standpoint, Jokic averaged 10.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game last year, while Murray posted 4.2 boards and 4.8 dimes.

Factoring a slight growth in each, Denver’s tandem should finish near the top of the list in assists, and about mid-pack in rebounds for 2019-20.

Neither player is known for his defensive impact. Jokic posted a 107.5 defensive rating in 2018-19, which was actually his career high. He showed signs of improvement last year, even snagging 1.4 steals per game.

He still struggled notably on pick-and-rolls, however, and is no type of rim protector.

Murray’s defensive rating was 108.0 last year, and he was exploited in the postseason. The worst of it happened in Game 3 of the first round, as San Antonio Spurs guard Derrick White outscored Murray 36-6. As a result, Gary Harris switched to guard White for the remainder of the series.

One advantage Denver holds is supreme durability from both Jokic and Murray. They’ve missed just 3.5 games per season each over the past two years, which is tied for second-best among the above duo list.

In the tandem era, health becomes more important than ever. This year’s injuries could be devastating, as losing one star means the other is isolated among reserves. A Kawhi Leonard injury, for example, suddenly means George has a tough season ahead.

From the Lakers’ perspective, LeBron and AD missed a combined 51 games last year. Thompson is set to miss most of 2019-20, which significantly harms the Warriors already. Stay tuned on this front, because injuries could play a huge role next year.

Overall, factoring all-around offense, defense and durability, Denver’s pairing compares decently to other duos in the West. Jokic and Murray were impressive in last year’s postseason, and hope to make another jump in the coming campaign.

Nonetheless, Denver is best served developing its well-rounded core. The squad’s depth sets them apart, and playing only a duo-oriented game would be flawed. Simply put, several other teams are better-equipped for this style.