Preseason has begun. Basketball is back. We get to watch bad international teams get spanked by NBA teams that are hardly trying. It’s preview season!

We move forward with the Denver Nuggets.

2018-19 Finish: 54-28, 2nd in West

Who’s in: Bol Bol (44th overall pick), Jerami Grant (trade) Vlatko Cancar (stashed), Tyler Zeller (free agency), PJ Dozier (free agency) Tyler Cook (two-way)

Who’s out: Isaiah Thomas (WAS), Trey Lyles (SAS), Tyler Lydon (SAC), Brandon Goodwin (ATL)

Starters

PG – Jamal Murray

SG – Gary Harris

SF – Will Barton

PF – Paul Millsap

C – Nikola Jokic

Bench: Jerami Grant, Malik Beasley, Torrey Craig, Monte Morris, Mason Plumlee, Michael Porter Jr., Juan Hernangomez, Jarred Vanderbilt

Sneaky Breakout Candidate: Malik Beasley drastically improved as a shooter in 2019, making him one of the league’s top unknown 3&D threats. His production didn’t fall off in the playoffs either. He fills a position of need in Denver, and is looking to get paid next summer. Look for him to take another leap in 2020.

What Happened Last Year?

Denver took the leap last year, winning 54 games and coming within inches off reaching the conference finals, despite various injuries throughout their depth chart. Nikola Jokic emerged as a fringe MVP candidate, and proved in the playoffs that he can handle a superstar load on offense, averaging 25.1 points, 13.0 rebounds and 8.4 assists in Denver’s 14 postseason contests.

2019-20 Analysis

Denver has been building for years to field a team this . Last year was the league’s wake up call; this year, they’ll have a target on their back. Players understand how hellish playing in Denver can be, especially in a playoff atmosphere, given the city’s elevation and the endless motion Mike Malone has instilled into his offense.

Jokic dominating offensively in the playoffs and pulling his weight defensively should alleviate any concern from anyone about his status in the league. Jokic is already a top ten player, and at 24, only stands to get better. He’s a brilliant passer, an efficient scorer, and reliable as hell, sitting out of just 20 games in his 4 NBA seasons. He’ll never be an uber-mobile hummingbird defensively, but he made marked improvement last season, demonstrating a better understanding of rotations and mirroring his offensive aptitude for angles on the defensive end. He’s as elite as they come, and the strong chemistry he’s developed with the rest of the roster makes Denver’s offense one of the prettiest in recent memory.

Jamal Murray might not have taken the step some expected him to last season, but nothing he did last year should make you queasy about his star potential (especially when you consider the various minor injuries he played through throughout last season). Murray’s difficult shot making is polished beyond his years, he’s active and effective moving off the ball, and has made strides as a playmaker in the past two seasons. His two man game with Jokic is absolutely gorgeous. He’s 22. it’s completely understandable why Denver wasted no time giving him a long term deal this summer. His backcourt partner, Gary Harris, saw his fifth season ravaged by injuries, but he’s primed for a bounce back season. Denver needs Harris; he defends, he hits threes at a high rate, and he provides enough off the bounce creation to help alleviate the scoring burden for Murray and Jokic. Harris is also one of the best non-big finishers in the league; in 2017-18, he shot an outstanding 71% at the rim, per Basketball Reference.

The rest of Denver’s roster is likely the best group of “other guys” in the league. Paul Millsap has fit wonderfully next to Jokic over the past two years; a defensive Swiss Army knife who can bully his way into baskets and hit tough shots down the stretch. Adding Jerami Grant, a slinky combo forward who can defend virtually everyone in the NBA gives Denver front court lineup flexibility that will be difficult to counter, especially of Grant’s shooting from last season keeps up. They still bring back Will Barton, Malik Beasely and Torrey Craig too, all of whom fill various roles for the Nuggets. Monte Morris was one of the three or four best backup guards in the league last year. He sported an absurdly low 6.6 turnover percentage last year, and shot over 40% from beyond the arc. He makes less than two million dollars this year. Finding studs like Morris in low-value draft positions has been Tim Connelly’s bread and butter, and these types of moves along the margins matter for teams competing for titles. Mason Plumlee is a dependable backup big, protecting the paint and whipping some fancy passes of his own. The Nuggets are just absolutely loaded with depth, and nearly everyone returns from last year, hungry and motivated after a devastating game seven defeat.

And then there’s Michael Porter Jr. He’s played NBA (preseason) basketball games this week! That in itself is an accomplishment. He’s looked pretty good too; he moves well off the ball, has a nose for boards, and has a silky smooth perimeter scoring game for his size. Denver will limit his minutes to start the year, for both long term health concerns and, frankly, because they just have too many proven wings on the team. But MPJ has the chance to be something special, and give Denver something they don’t have; an elite scoring wing. If MPJ works out, the Nuggets will be even more of a nightmare to matchup with than they already are. Even if we don’t see it too much this year, MPJ will be must watch television any time he steps on the court.

Record Prediction: 56-26

The Final Line: Denver is getting slept on among the Western Conference’s elite, partly because they play in Denver, but also because they didn’t have the flashy offseason so many other contenders enjoyed. Jokic by himself can vault any team into a top ten offense; add a deep supporting cast of defenders, active off ball players and young potential stars around him, and the Nuggets have as good a case as any to make it out of the ringer next spring.