3 Western Conference NBA teams to watch in the final stretch
By Duncan Smith
3. Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets see the West as theirs for the taking, and why not? They’ve bolstered their roster with the blockbuster addition of Aaron Gordon, acquired via trade from the Orlando Magic, and Jamal Murray has been kicking into high gear over the past few weeks.
More from Denver Nuggets
- This overlooked skill proves that Nikola Jokic is underrated defensively
- Why the loss of impact players won’t damage Denver’s repeat title hopes
- Has Denver’s risky offseason hurt their repeat title hopes?
- The Nuggets’ sneaky great draft bolsters their championship roster
- Despite a short series, the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat saved the NBA
Murray is averaging 23.9 points per game with shooting splits of .517/.500/.941 over the past eight games, and the Nuggets as a whole are 13-3 in their last 16 games. Finally, this team is playing on a level commensurate with their MVP candidate, Nikola Jokic.
At this point, Jokic could easily be considered a runaway MVP favorite, even without injuries to players like LeBron James and Joel Embiid.
While Murray is just now rounding into form, Jokic has been there all season. He’s averaging 26.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 8.4 assists, shooting 56.7 percent from the floor, 42.9 percent from 3-point range and 86.7 from the free throw line.
If you don’t believe in the Utah Jazz and the Phoenix Suns at the top of the West, you could talk yourself into the Nuggets being the team to make a run for the NBA Finals. There’s a lot of work to do, but with the addition of Aaron Gordon, they’re a much better team than they were before the trade deadline.