At the midway point of the 2017-18 season, the Denver Nuggets are still on track to reach their goal of returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2013. They entered play Thursday seventh in the Western Conference with a 21-20 record and 25 games played without all-star forward and splashy free-agent signing Paul Millsap due to reconstructive wrist surgery.

But Denver also closed the first half with its first three-game losing skid of the season, including an ugly home defeat against the Hawks on Wednesday that prompted coach Michael Malone to effectively ban postseason talk in the locker room.

A look back at the first half of the season and a glance at the second half.

Best win: Dec. 23 at Golden State

Yes, the Warriors were without Stephen Curry in this game. But Denver held the NBA’s best shooting team to a stunning 3-of-27 from 3-point land, including 21 consecutive misses, in a 96-81 victory at Oracle Arena. That win capped an impressive road back-to-back for the Nuggets, who also won at Portland (without Damian Lillard) for the first time since 2013. Another candidate for this spot is a Nov. 9 home win against Oklahoma City, which felt like a breakthrough night on national television. Another sneaky contender is Denver’s Nov. 1 home blowout win over Toronto, which entered Thursday with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.



Worst loss: Jan. 10 vs. Atlanta

Maybe recency bias is creeping in, but three contenders for this spot have occurred over the past two weeks. Denver lost at home to Philadelphia, which was without Joel Embiid, on Dec. 30, then committed 26 turnovers that resulted in 40 points in a loss at Sacramento last Friday. Then came Wednesday’s lackluster effort at home against the worst team in the NBA, which caused Malone to drop expletives while blasting his team’s mentality and approach.

MVP: Nikola Jokic

You could make a strong argument that Gary Harris deserves this more, particularly since Jokic missed seven games in December with a sprained ankle and is laboring through a major shooting slump to start January. But Jokic is still one of the NBA’s most versatile big men and the Nuggets’ centerpiece, averaging 15.7 points, 10.2 rebounds and five assists per game. Sometimes, Jokic has shown sensational flashes of becoming Denver’s “closer,” a future all-star and a prominent leader. Other times, he’s looked passive or frustrated as the primary defensive focus for opponents. But consider this: Even during Jokic’s poor five-game scoring stretch, he’s still averaging 10 rebounds and eight assists per game.

Biggest surprise: Trey Lyles’ emergence

At the start of the season, Lyles was the odd man out amongst Denver’s crowded frontcourt. But since Millsap went down, Lyles has used his versatile inside-outside game and admirable work ethic to thrive as the Nuggets’ first big man off the bench. While playing both forward spots and center, Lyles has compiled 13 consecutive double-figure scoring outings while also averaging 7.5 rebounds per game during that span. His emergence is partially why Kenneth Faried has essentially been pushed out of Denver’s rotation. A tip of the cap here should also go to Torrey Craig, who has parlayed a career in Australia into an NBA two-way contract and, now, a rotation spot as a perimeter defensive stopper. Related Articles Nuggets’ Jamal Murray: Lakers try to “manipulate” refs’ whistles

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Biggest disappointment: Wilson Chandler’s inconsistency

After Danilo Gallinari departed for the Los Angeles Clippers via a sign-and-trade, Chandler slid into the starting spot at small forward. But his performance so far has been inconsistent, at best, with his numbers dipping to 9.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game after averaging 15.7 points and 6.5 rebounds last season. Though Malone and teammates have praised Chandler for his improved playmaking and wing defense, he’s lacked the consistent aggressiveness to be a reliable scoring option. A broader contender here is Denver’s turnover struggles, entering Thursday ranked 23rd in the NBA in giveaways (15.5 per game) and 28th in opponent points off turnovers (19.1 per game).

One second-half question: Do the Nuggets make a deal at the trade deadline?

Since falling out of the rotation, Faried and former lottery pick Emmanuel Mudiay have become popular names tossed out as potential trade pieces. Do the Nuggets try to solidify their playoff push by adding a viable backup point guard or wing? Do they try to shed some salary, with Harris’ lucrative contract extension set to kick in next season and Jokic soon due a max deal? The Nuggets’ options will also depend on the rest of the NBA trade market, which can be unpredictable.

Another second-half question: How will the Nuggets re-insert Paul Millsap?

Millsap got his cast removed earlier this week, a key step in his recovery that still projects a return around the all-star break. His on-court talent and veteran presence have been missed, particularly in crunch time and during these early dog days of January when generating motivation can be a challenge. But he and Jokic struggled to find chemistry early in the season, before gaining rhythm right before Millsap’s injury. Do they pick up where they left off? Or will they need to fight through another set of growing pains in February and March, particularly with Millsap also needing to kick off his own rust?