The Denver Nuggets hold the No. 14 overall pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft, and that’s where all the certainty ends.

The Nuggets could move in multiple directions, shifting the franchise in many ways on Thursday. From moving massive contracts on the books now — packaged with the No. 14 pick — or trading up, grabbing a lethal young talent to add to their pool of players in hopes of chasing a playoff spot in the 2018-2019 season.

Chatting with Eric Goodman and guest host Doug Ottewill of Mile High Sports AM 1340 | FM 104.7 about the national narrative around the Nuggets is Sekou Smith, writer and TV analyst for NBA.Com.

Smith says the national perception around the Nuggets is growing as the team continues to collect talent, they’re just one steps away as a team on the rise.

“I think people love them. It’s a team on the rise, that battled down to the very end this year trying to get into the playoffs. That’s all you can ask for when you have a young team like that,” Smith said.

“Right now the real challenge for the Nuggets is you have to get into the Western Conference playoff mix, once you get there, then you open some eyes around the league with fans and also much more importantly, you open some eyes around the league of veteran players, who want to come there and help accelerate that process.”

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