Denver Nuggets: 3 X-factors down the stretch

The Denver Nuggets are heading towards the end of the season looking to snag the second seed and get to their top level with the help of these guys.

The Denver Nuggets are heading into the home stretch of the season. They have 17 games remaining and they have been steadily building their lead in second place in the Western Conference.

Heading into that stretch and into the playoffs, it will be important for some players outside of Nikola Jokic and the other key stars to step up to support them. If the stars don’t hold up their end, the X-factors contributions will be less significant as a result.

They’ll be players on the bench that need to work on their scoring efficiency, and they need to keep their defense up to slow down opposing offenses. They weren’t quite able to do that against the Golden State Warriors when they were beaten down by 17 points on the road.

Isaiah Thomas and Gary Harris‘ return were supposed to boost the team up in their end of season push, but the team has sputtered since the All-Star break.

The league is driven by star players, but championships are won by role players when they contribute 20 points off the bench in the final game of a series or get that key stop on the defensive end of the floor. That’s what these guys are going to have to do for the Nuggets.

If they are able to get that done, they’ll be hitting their stride at just the right time.