The Denver Nuggets currently sit at 22-32 on the year; however, there is more than meets the eye with this Denver Nuggets team.
The time is now for basketball fans to hop on the Denver Nuggets bandwagon, because this fly over city will soon enough become a winning destination for basketball.
The Nuggets have not been competitive for the past three years, but fear no more, because the end of the suffering is almost here.
The Nuggets are a team with a tremendous amount of talent that will only get better as the years go along. As it stands, the Nuggets have good coaching, developed NBA talent, young players with potential and the possibility to own four first-round draft picks in this year’s NBA draft.
Yes, four first-round picks.
So don’t be shocked when you here their name being mentioned a ton come draft night.
The Nuggets own the right to swap picks with the New York Knicks, the rights to the Memphis Grizzlies’ protected first-round pick (if it falls between 6-14), the rights to the Blazers’ first-round pick (lottery protected) and the rights to the Houston Rockets’ first-round pick (lottery protected). And while those final three picks are heavily protected, the rise of the Blazers, the injury to Marc Gasol and the pure talent of the Rockets make them well in play.
Aside from their bright future, the Nuggets are playing solid on the court this year. The Nuggets are currently in 11th place in the West but are within striking distance of a playoff spot; the Jazz currently sit in the eighth seed, with a record of 26-26. Below them are the Houston Rockets (who the Nuggets own the season series against 3-0) and the Sacramento Kings, whom the Nuggets still play three times this year; meaning, the Nuggies are in a strong position to beat out competition in the playoff push this season.
The Nuggets under coach Malone have a renewed confidence and energy. The team had their struggles early in the year but have seemingly figured it out since the new year arrived. In 2016, the Nuggets are 10-11; although they have a sub .500 record, they’ve been competitive in every game they’ve played, despite a tough schedule.
In fact, since the new year, the Nuggets have only lost one game by double digits, falling to the Atlanta Hawks 105-119.
No doubt all season long the Nuggets have shown fight, something they lacked under the previous coaching regime.
Forward Danilo Gallinari chimed in on his teams will to win earlier in the month:
“That is maybe the most positive thing about this team,” Gallo said. “We never give up, we have been down a lot in games, especially in the first half, but we always battle back”
Gallo speaks for everyone when he says that the team “always battle back,” because its true. Game after game, we have witnessed the Nuggets come out flat, but they continue to make the adjustments needed to get back in, and win, games.
If the Nuggets can play competitive, winning basketball in the first year of a new coaching scheme, down Wilson Chandler, and in an arena that ranks dead last in home attendance, the team will only contnue to grow from here.
The Nuggets are not a “bad” team by any means, they are, rather, a team who is still learning their identity. The Nuggets have a rapidly developing core in Garry Harris, Emmanuel Mudiay and Nikola Jokic, as well as proven NBA talent in Danilo Gallinari and Kenneth Faried. Not to mention, developed NBA veterans like Jameer Nelson, Darrell Arthur and Randy Foye.
An example of a “bad” team is the Philadelphia 76ers or Brooklyn Nets. Teams like these don’t have a foundation or an identity for their clubs; instead, they go out on a nightly basis and play as individuals due to instability.
The Nuggets have a very stable team compared to years’ past. Prior to Michael Malone taking the helm, the Nuggets were under the control of Brian Shaw. Shaw, who is out of a coaching job, called his players out publicly and rubbed guys the wrong way with his coaching tactics. Malone on the other hand has nurtured and guided his players, which has resulted in player-coach chemistry.
The Nuggets have leadership, stability and focus, which are all characteristics of winning clubs; however, the Nuggets are young and inexperienced, which is reflected in their record. Nonetheless, they are a team that has taken significant strides. They are playing competitive no matter the score, they are playing as a unit, and they are picking each other up. All of this has played a role in the team’s upward trend.
So when people say the Nuggets are a “bad” team, they have no clue what they’re talking about, because “bad” teams do not beat squads like the Golden State Warriors, Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls.
The Nuggets are a team on the rise and a team that will be very good for years to come, if their young talent pans out, their established players continue to grow and the coaching staff remains hungry.
The time is now for fans to hop on the Nuggets train, because the Denver Nuggets will be a marquee team in the NBA soon enough.
