The Nuggets’ 2020-21 campaign is underway and with it, hopes of bringing Denver its first NBA championship.
Fresh off of their first Western Conference Finals appearance in a decade, the Nuggets carry one of the league’s most-potent offenses, led by All-NBA center Nikola Jokic.
So how does Denver’s talent measure up against the rest of the league’s? Here’s a look at how national experts ranked the Nuggets’ top players:
Will Barton
Height: 6-foot-5 | Weight: 181 pounds | Age: 29
2019-20 regular season stat line: 15.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.5 blocks
: “One of the most impressive parts of the Nuggets’ most recent Western Conference finals run was that they won two thrilling playoff series without Barton. The 29-year-old small forward started 58 games for the Nuggets last season and was among the team’s most consistent contributors. He averaged 15.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 37.5% from three and playing a multitude of roles. Simply put, he was Denver’s third-most-reliable player,” Ben Pickman writes.
Gary Harris
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 210 pounds | Age: 26
2019-20 regular season stat line: 10.4 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.4 spg, 0.3 bpg
: “With the Nuggets’ most potent lineups likely to include Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter together, Harris’s feel for complementing others, limiting mistakes and making plays in a pinch has never been more critical. Itap one thing to find a player who’s willing to fit in, but another entirely when the crux of his game is so well suited for just that. The thought he might become Denver’s third star has subsided, but if clean health and renewed confidence are in the cards, Harris’s shooting percentages ought to trend back upward, adding the requisite punch that would return him to form,” Jeremy Woo writes.
Nikola Jokic
Height: 7-0 | Weight: 284 pounds | Age: 25
2019-20 regular season stat line: 19.9 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 7.0 apg, 1.2 spg, 0.6 bpg
: “Little about Jokic is now misunderstood. No other big man is remotely capable of running an offense in the same bent. His vision is clairvoyant; he doesn’t pass players open so much as sees into the future. The nonchalance with which he finds cutters, launches outlets, throws one-handed dimes, keeps track of shooters, et al. has to be emotionally and physically draining for defenses,” Dan Favale writes.
: “Jokic went from an NBA nerd favorite to a bona fide superstar with his exposure in the Nuggets’ run to the Western Conference finals. He’s likely the best passing big man of all time, and one of the few NBA centers who can score consistently in the post, averaging 1.063 points per post possession (86th percentile), according to Synergy. When you add in his ball-handling, rebounding and shooting ability, Jokic is a truly unique talent who has proven that he can be the best player on a championship contender,” Colin Ward-Henninger writes.
: “A sluggish start to the season was a distant memory when Jokic showed up trim for the seeding games and helped lead the Nuggets to their first conference finals since 2009. Along the way, Jokic showed how he helps his team in multiple ways. Against the Utah Jazz, who wanted to make him a scorer, Jokic averaged 26.3 points. That was down to 24.4 against the LA Clippers, but Jokic dominated the glass (13.4 rebounds) and averaged 6.6 assists. Though foul trouble limited Jokic against the eventual champion Lakers, he still made 58% of his 2-point attempts in an efficient series.”
: “There’s a skittishness evident with defenses that play against Jokić. Take a step toward the paint, and an open three will be generated. Stay put on the perimeter, and Jokić is ready to punish a defender on the low block. Jokic isn’t just unselfish. He’s downright gleeful to feed his teammates. Itap hard to imagine a better superstar alongside Jamal Murray in Denver,” Michael Shapiro writes.
Paul Millsap
Height: 6-7 | Weight: 257 pounds | :35
2019-20 regular season stat line: 11.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.6 apg, 0.9 spg, 0.6 bpg
: “Itap undeniable that Millsap’s best NBA days are behind him, but the 35-year-old power forward still remains an important part of Denver’s roster heading into the 2020–21 NBA season. When Millsap joined the Nuggets in 2017 on a three-year, $90 million deal, he helped shepherd a young franchise into the future, culminating, thus far, in Denver’s most recent Western Conference finals run. Despite his scoring output dropping to its lowest mark since 2009–10 and his rebounding total dropping to its lowest mark since 2007–08, Millsap remains a steady defender who is capable of playing a productive, limited role on a high-quality team,” Ben Pickman writes.
Jamal Murray
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 215 pounds | Age: 23
2019-20 regular season stat line: 18.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 4.8 apg, 1.1 spg, 0.3 bpg
: “Consistency remains critical to Jamal Murray’s overarching value. He spits fire with the unrelenting ferocity of a megastar on any given night; he just needs to have more of those nights — or at least embark on fewer disappearing acts,” Dan Favale writes.
: “Did Murray make the proverbial ‘leap” in the bubble? I take issue with that word in this case because nothing Murray did in the playoffs surprised me. His consistency is the question, but even that discussion is skewed because of the presence of Nikola Jokic, who controls so much of Denver’s offense. Pretty much every other point guard with Murray’s ability has complete control of his offense, so Murray’s scoring numbers are going to fluctuate more on nights when Jokic is in attack mode. Bottom line: There are only a handful of guys in the league I would rather have on my team in a playoff series than Murray, who is, amazingly, still just 23 years old. What a future the Nuggets have brewing,” Brad Botkin writes.
: “One thing to watch for: We saw how lethal Murray can be during Denver’s playoff run, and I think he’ll take his game to even greater heights thanks to the addition of Facundo Campazzo. The former Real Madrid floor general will allow Murray to focus more on scoring efficiently, as opposed to creating so much of the perimeter offense, which should lead to fewer tired-leg nights,” Mike Schmitz writes.
: “When the 23-year-old Murray agreed to a five-year, $170 million extension in the summer of 2019, some questioned Denver’s decision to anoint Murray as a franchise centerpiece despite his having never made an All-Star team. Now, such doubts appear moot, as Murray enters the 2020-21 campaign poised to build on his stellar playoff run,” Ben Pickman writes.
Michael Porter Jr.
Height: 6-10 | Weight: 218 pounds | Age: 22
2019-20 regular season stat line: 9.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 0.8 apg, 0.5 spg, 0.5 bpg
: “Porter has the look and feel of a transcendent scorer. He is super quick, can let ‘er rip over the top of just about anyone and has no bones about stroking spot-up jumpers. Only five other players have averaged more than 20 points per 36 minutes on a true shooting percentage above 60 before their age-22 seasons: John Collins, Karl-Anthony Towns, Nikola Jokic, Kevin Durant and Shaquille O’Neal. Porter played by far the lowest-volume role of the bunch, but this still attests to the upside on which Denver is counting.”
: “Porter is a springy 6-foot-10 shotmaker who cashed over 40% of his triples, so why hasn’t he established himself as a regular starter? The wiry forward needs to ramp up his defensive effort under coach Michael Malone. He has good instincts for rebounds, but teams exposed Porter on the defensive end in the playoffs. In order to take the next step, Porter can’t be a target for opposing offenses,” Mike Schmitz writes.
