Last Week: (L) to CLE, (L) to UTA, (W) over DAL, (W) over MIN
Most teams lose an All-Star player and lose a step, but the Denver Nuggets have continued to play like a team in the mix for the top-half of the Western Conference. Secure home-court advantage by the time Jamal Murray comes back and suddenly this team is dangerous again.
They fall a few spots because of a brutal loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers where the Nuggets put up just 79 points against a lottery squad, rookie defensive phenom or no. Nikola Jokic looks great, dropping 24 points and 14.8 rebounds, although he’s averaging just 5.5 assists. The other exciting factor is rookie Bones Hyland who has scored 21 points in 37 minutes and needs to get more playing time.
Scares Me: Michael Porter Jr. isn’t as good as we thought. What if the Denver Nuggets finally paid up, committed to paying the luxury tax, for a player who isn’t able to take a step forward as an All-Star player? Michael Porter Jr. has been atrocious to start the season, averaging just 10.8 points per game on 33.3 shooting from the field and 25 percent shooting from deep. Was the hyper-efficient season last year a product of the right context, and he’s a much worse player in reality? I don’t think so — it’s only been six games — but I would be feeling a little tendril of fear if I rooted for Denver.