Denver Nuggets: Season preview for the 2019-20 season

SACRAMENTO, CA - JANUARY 3: Nikola Jokic #15, Malik Beasley #25 and Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets celebrate against the Sacramento Kings on January 3, 2019 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images /

Best-case scenario

Nikola Jokic becomes the best big in the league by a comfortable margin because of improved spatial defense and scoring chops. He either wins or finishes as a finalist for the Most Valuable Player award, piloting a world-class offense that few if any teams can stifle.

Jamal Murray leaps and becomes the scoring star the Nuggets need en route to being in the All-Star Game conversation, all while maintaining above-average efficiency. He and Jokic find a balance between systematic and ad-lib offense.

Around these two, the role players do what they’re best at: Shooting and defending. The bench unit plays above-average basketball, buoyed by All-Rookie First Team forward Michael Porter Jr.

The Nuggets’ offense finishes among the most efficient in league history, and whatever defensive struggles that might be present aren’t enough to outweigh that. The ceiling for Denver is the absolute ceiling: A championship.

Worst-case scenario

Murray stagnates, unable to get over the (very difficult) hump of becoming a great guard. Porter Jr. barely gets on the court and record-scratches the offense when he does. As a result, the Nuggets still lack a go-to scorer when it matters most.

With a lack of scoring firepower, the Nuggets are a net negative when Jokic takes a seat and barely stay in the loaded West’s playoff picture. They lose in the first round to a more battle-tested opponent and are left with serious long-term questions to answer.

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