Projected starting lineup: Denver Nuggets
Point Guard: Jamal Murray
Shooting Guard: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Small Forward: Michael Porter Jr.
Power Forward: Aaron Gordon
Center: Nikola Jokic
The Nuggets enter the 2023–24 season as defending champions and will have the benefit of having the same starting lineup. Their starting five is, of course, headlined by Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic. Both of them had stellar postseasons and proved that they were an all-time great pick-and-roll pairing by blowing the doors off any team that tried to stop them.
Nothing has changed, and while the Nuggets might not be as deep, they still also have Caldwell-Pope, Porter Jr., and Gordon to rely on. That type of continuity might not grab the attention of the average fan, but it can maximize an already very good team and give them an edge over a cobbled-together team like the Phoenix Suns.
The Suns have overhauled their roster this summer in hopes of knocking off the Nuggets, but Denver still has arguably the best player in the NBA. They will also have to learn on the fly with so many new players and even a new coach, whereas Denver can hit the ground running.
That familiarity could be enough to ensure that they will have home-court advantage throughout most of next year’s NBA playoffs, and considering how well the Nuggets play at home, that could put them in a position to make it back to the NBA Finals.