The Denver Nuggets have had a difficult end to the season. They lost Jamal Murray to a torn ACL, meaning that a lot of the pressure of the offense fell to MVP candidate Nikola Jokic. He was able to help guide the Nuggets to the third seed in the Western Conference.
In fact, this season has been tough for the Nuggets since before the ball was first tossed in the air in December. They lost Jerami Grant to the Detroit Pistons via trade after he requested to leave. He was a crucial piece of their defensive strength and as a result, the Nuggets struggled at the start of the season.
The Nuggets were part of a four-team trade where they sent a 2023 first-round pick to the OKC Thunder and in return received RJ Hampton from the Milwaukee Bucks. They also lost Torrey Craig to the Bucks in free agency.
The Denver Nuggets trade deadline moves were season-defining
The Nuggets made two moves at the deadline which made them into a better unit on the court. The first was they sent Isaiah Hartenstein to the Cleveland Cavaliers. In return, they got the championship experience of JaVale McGee who could give the Nuggets good rim protection when Jokic sat.
The other move they made had the potential to change the Nuggets from a top-four team into a contender. They sent R.J. Hampton, Gary Harris and a 2025 first-round draft pick to the Orlando Magic in return for Gary Clark and Aaron Gordon.
The last significant move they made was to sign Austin Rivers for the rest of the season. With all of this in mind, let’s take a look at the 3 crucial goals for the Denver Nuggets for their playoff run.