What to expect from the Denver Nuggets in 2024

What to expect from the Denver Nuggets in 2024

What’s the best possible outcome for the Denver Nuggets my boy Ryan and I are here to talk about what could happen for the Denver Nuggets this season 2024 is here so we can actually talk about what are the best and worst case scenarios for the team players and what

Would be the ideal finals matchup the top this NBA season let’s talk about that and more right now Ryan Ryan what’s up brother so how are you feeling about 2024 for the different n are you excited are you nervous what’s going on yeah I’m cautiously optimistic I think that some

Of these teams that have shown up in the Northwest division the OKC Thunder the Minnesota Timberwolves they’re tough like they they look really good and they they look like contenders in their own right I I want to preface that uh but all the other teams in the Pacific

Division and the Southwest Division they look a little sh shaky and I I think that the actual winner of the western conference is going to come from the Northwest and it’s just a matter of which of these three Northwest teams it’s going to be so you think like Minnesota Thunder

Nuggets are the team that you’re not and that you think most likely to make it to the the finals yeah I think that if if you are if you’re gonna like look at history basically top three teams in the conference are the vastly most likely to

Make it to the NBA finals and I know that regular season record isn’t as important as it was but I still don’t look at the teams like the Suns and the Lakers that are like those teams and even the Warriors teams that I think a

Lot of people expected to be in the mix I don’t see them as as talented I don’t see them as kind of attention to detail wise like I I think that the three teams in the Northwest are going to be the ones that come out of the the Western

Conference I think it’s probably Denver but I also have some healthy respect for Minnesota and OKC just based off of how they’ve played well I mean we just haven’t seen them teams do anything haven’t seen SGA in the playoff setting Chad in a playoff setting Jay will on a

Playoff setting none of them um in respecting Minnesota they could be as good as they want defensively but in the H in in the NBA Playoffs it’s all about half court offense half court defense now you can set your defense do you have enough shot making when it gets close in

A fourth quarter setting to be able to put enough pressure on a team have to change their coverages or to where you’re getting active shots that you want to get and I’ll say this I have more confidence OKC can do that than the Timberwolves do because I think SGA

Arguably is just is a better pull-up shooter than Anthony Edwards is and then Chad hram is also a better shooter finisher than Rudy goar is and so that’s what it’s going to come down to I think the other side of this is defensively they can lock in but I what I look just

Right now when I look at the Minnesota Timberwolves I am not concerned right right now about how they’re going to perform offensively in a half court enough to say that they’re going to be a team that’s going to push people to the Western Conference Finals they could

Maybe if the Lakers just don’t get it together at all but I do expect that they’re going to Rally by the end of the year but yeah I mean the Thunder legit now I don’t you know Shay said he doesn’t think that Thunder can win a championship this year or make the

Finals so I think I agree with him on that there’s just levels to like when you get there and then you have to fall you have to fall on your face basically you know unless you’re like no I I don’t disagree with that I think that the the

Nuggets are the most complete team they’re the team that you have the least questions about they’re the team that you’ve seen do it and and I think with with some of those other teams in the Pacific and in the southwest whether it’s uh like the Grizzlies I thought

Could have done something before they got hit with the injury bug at the beginning of the year but um like there’s just no team in the southwest there’s just no team really in the Pacific even the the Suns and the Lakers that I how do you feel about the

Clippers though with James Hardy yeah you know what that’s one I I think that they are like they still have to prove it man like it it is still a team that is led by James Harden and we’ve seen what James Harden does in the playoffs and

Like I I think that he leads that team even more than kawh Leonard does there’s kind of his own individual like anomaly within that with the last time if they’re healthy though which I know it’s if but I’m saying but that’s the whole that’s them like but if they’re healthy

They’re going to have three really good shot makers three Elite pull-up Shooters James Harden is shooting crazy as a pull-up shooter right now it’s been great a while so I mean that’s going to be tough to beat for most teams in the Western Conference for most teams I

Agree they could be a team that even if they’re not in the top three they could upset a team like Minnesota they could upset a team like OKC because they have the veterans they have the the some of the proven guys not necessarily all the proven guys because we’re still talking

About Harden here but I I do think that Denver is really the only team that you could say hey we have the least questions about them we’ve seen what Murray and joic can do in the playoffs offensively and we’ve seen what this team looks like when they lock in

Defensively so that’s what I’m expecting from the nuggets in 2024 man is I’m expecting them to get out of the West still yeah so when you predict the Denver Nuggets Awards do you think what do you think there are any individual Awards the Denver Nuggets are going to

Be up for or any team Awards will bef by the end of the year yeah not I mean yic obviously MVP candidate like that’s going to be like I don’t know whether he’s actually gonna win embiid has played great he’s kind of not on Pace necessarily for playing as many games as

As I think might take in order to actually qualify for the award but I think he’ll probably still play upwards of 65 by the end if that’s the cas sounds like he’s actually pretty hurt right now which is unfortunate because that he missed five games now I think

Because the ankle injury and and he had been like I mean I’m just gonna say he had been the best per minute player in the NBA up through the first 30 games of the Season handicapped by the fact that he kind of skip some of the toughest

Matchups on his schedule so like I I want to make sure like everybody knows that that’s a thing but I also think that it’s important that when when he does play he has been dominant so I think that that he’ll probably win if he stays healthy if not him then it’s

Probably joic but Giannis is creeping up in those standings Luca’s been fantastic Shay’s been fantastic so joic is gonna have some candidates that are kind of breathing down his neck here um I think that Murray is probably not GNA make an All-Star I think he’s probably not GNA

Make all NBA it’s too bad that he missed a bunch of time because he has been great he has been really really good Miss 14 games yeah I mean it’s going to be tough uh the coach of the year ODS uh were put on Twitter the other day and I asked a

Question I I don’t think Michael Malone I don’t know if he ever’s gonna win coach of the year but he’s like a consensus top four coach and us for us he’s top two so right it’s just insane that like it just doesn’t matter what he does coach Drew Murray in Porters injury

2021 legon Championship they were the Far and Away number one seed in the west now this year they deal with Mich with Murray injuries and then you got pton Watson and Christian Brown and Julian Strath are contributing to a championship level team the offense is still very good but you know what

They’re they’ve been a top 10 defense for basically every SE week of the year except for like maybe two yeah but and there’s only I think is it’s uh top 10 offensive defense is the the 76ers the Celtics the nuggets and the Thunder I don’t know if there’s any other teams in

There right now maybe not not the heat the heat are 12 I think defensively right now yeah but but that’s what I’m saying like there’s only but he’s not in the conversation at all it’s just so crazy to me yeah it’s that’s always just going to be a word where it’s the most

Surprising team that you had lower expectations on than what actually happened like some of the the OKC stuff and Minnesota stuff can be attributed to the development but do the coaches get credit for the development of the young guys yeah they they should they not all

Of it but they should get some and I think what Mark Dag’s doing in OKC what Chris Finch is doing in Minnesota like they’ve turned around interesting situations pretty quickly and and have done some great things but I mean we’ve seen what Malone can do in the playoffs

Coaching so I’m not I’m not concerned about that in any way shape or form he should get credited at some point but then again Eric spolo never did well I think Eric just doesn’t have like the regular season high and then when he did he had LeBron yeah so that’s

It’s the same thing like y like yic is gonna take away from that that doesn’t make any sense because if Yiannis is the best player in the world in won well then how is is he winning coach of the year then that’s what doesn’t make sense

To me like if is an MVP level player then why is he not losing credit for SGA because yic in age 25 won an MVP SGA is 25 right now so that’s what doesn’t make any sense to me Y is better than So Def I trying to figure out like I guess it’s

Just certain players maybe two in the last 25 years apparently that if they’re just this much better than everybody like well of course I would win I’d win 55 games too yeah I I think everybody believes that their mother could coach the Nuggets to 55 wins because of the way the yic plays

And the way that they play do you how many how many games do you think the Nuggets would win if your mom was the head coach if my mom was the head coach they’d probably win 42 think so yeah I think so I think they’re really good uh

But there there is a distinct difference there but the coach is is just not going to it’s not going to make too much of a difference so now my mom would not know when C call timeouts though that’s that’s for sure like asking my mom to challenge calls would be that would be

Frustrating yeah that would be a little tough I think doing the lineups I think 25 30 games in she would get her you know she would start to get understanding and know what to do but it would take a little bit it’s basically what Adrien Griffin’s going through right

Now that’s insane sorry that that’s a little harsh they’re winning yeah no they are they are uh two more things here do you think that Denver makes a trade at the deadline I’ll think they’ll look but unless you’re telling me they’re just outright getting kuso or Drummond or like a

Uh like a wisan they wouldn’t do it I know like just I’m trying to think of players they would even want man go get Dron sharp that would be dope he’ be so good for Denver but he’s probably just not available yeah he’s probably going to be a little more expensive

Uh I mean they like mobile big maybe they would take Zeke in a second round pick for for Sharp or something like that um yeah trying to think who else would they want to get in the league what position you like they’re lacking at yeah I think I think the most

Important thing is probably just adding another backup front Court player whether it’s somebody who can play next to pton Watson or if Payton’s struggling in some matchups then maybe just some other veteran that they can go to because I just don’t like pton at the four I’ve said this he’s just not big

Enough you saw what jiren was doing yeah but he also had some good moments in that and like playing him next to Michael Porter like that’s those are three and a halfs playing together that’s that’s like Payton Watson’s playing the four the four offensively and the three defensively shooting guard

Future shooting guard uh pton Waton by the way we we’ll see whether they add anybody I tend to think that they’ll add some Fringe piece but I I don’t think that player will play um last thing do they win the championship yeah I think so man I think uh they’re healthy anybody they’re

Seeing they’re putting you in a box fourth quarter down a stretch of a game third quarter opening up playoff games they’re going to be a nightmare and I think even for the Celtics you know I really love what the Celtics have done but Jamal Murray’s not afraid of like

Tough POA defense like yeah because if that’s the case and they’re going to pick and roll you to death and if you’re telling me you’re getting like a Jamal Murray drop coverage against Kristoff and Al Horford he Jamal Murray I think arguably in the playoff setting is the most dangerous

Drop coverage shooter in the playoff settings because last year I want to say the Timberwolves I think he was 10 of 11 in like the first couple of games uh against drop covers defense versus Rudy goar or something like that like sure he just doesn’t if you give if you’re gonna say

Murray like we’re gonna give you enough space to be able to get a little step back like it’s just not going to work so I just I think that I think yeah I think that they more than likely will just be able to just hunt whoever they want and

Even if you’re going to play like stringent p in a paa defense you want to stay glued Murray and joic such just such good Navigators you have to bring help and as soon as one of them collapses kyp Porter AG it’s just it’s just nightmares if it’s going to be

Boston that’s going to be a war like that’ll be really tough I I Boston will make enough mistakes on the offensive end that Denver will be able to take advantage and get out and run a little bit but uh if it’s Milwaukee I think Denver just hunts like they they hunt

Those mismatches as as much as they can Pat conington pick your poison yeah no there’s there’s there’s a lot of holes there so we will see what happens I’m not worri like if Philly gets there I’m not I’m obviously not really worried about Philly getting out of the second

Round joic versus Al Horford in a final setting yeah no it’s just different like because what what Horford would do is the positional defense and yic would be like cool I’ll just hit this floater over you yeah I’m excited man uh do you think if

You had to place it now do you think joic wins MVP no I don’t think he does I think there’ll be enough momentum for other guys not even sure who it’s going to be but that I think there are four other good candidates I think there’s Luca I

Think there’s Shay I think there’s embiid and I think there’s Giannis I think all four are deserving in their own rights they’re all putting up crazy numbers and like Luca’s kind of got that 20 22 yic case where he’s carrying a team where Kyrie hasn’t played like

Kyrie’s played half of the Season like he’s played 17 games out of their stuff and they’re still 19 and 14 so like they’re they’re they’re playing pretty well and then he’s obviously doing everything for them so I try to give Credence to other people because like

Joic is awesome he’s he sometimes he he shows up a little bit less than the regular season now but we just know what he’s GNA do in the playoffs like it hasn’t changed my opinion on him being the best of the world yeah I still think Yoki just to

Favorite to win just because I think the January through March stretch he’s going to have is just going to be insane he’s already been really good the last 11 games anyway like 70% true shooting again um I just think that right now like the nuggets are cooking so much

That his volume is a little lower but I think that’s going going to help it’s like the win total is going to be so high and his play is going to be so efficient and then playmaking is going to be there but we’ll see I think

Uh the if I had to pick between Luca or SGA winning I think I actually would have SGA winning this year SJ has been great man he’s been great I think they’re going to be better they’re just going to be better than the Mavericks and if you’re going to pick a new winner

It’s going to be between one of the players that has a much better record than the other yeah it’s fair I I don’t disagree with that and and I’m honestly not gonna have any problem with Shay winning he’s coming to Denver what if he wins Shay gilgas wins an MVP this year

That would be it’s amazing like to be doing it in the stretch of international like bigs right would be crazy but like think about the players that I just listed yic Giannis Luca embiid Shay all International every single one would you rather have FC Tatum SGA that’s tough

That’s crazy he hasn’t even done anything in the playoffs yet I I just believe that he will like I just there’s there’s nothing about his game to me that says that he won’t stupid over the shoulder Kobe shots he shoots man it’s just like H it’s like it’s kind of like Deon Booker

Pull up shooting it’s just like when he’s on it’s just like all right like you can’t really do anything about it it’s uh like just you you can’t have anybody short anybody so we’ll be interesting to see man I’m I’m I’m looking forward to this year 20124 I

Don’t know if it’s going to be as good as 2023 but we can hope we can try we can we can pray about it it’ll be uh it’ll be interesting to see yeah yeah I’m excited y’all that’s going do it let me know what you think in the comment

Section y’all do y’all think that the Nuggets get it done in 2024 any awards that are on their way also make sure you like share and subscribe if we building up the M High Sports YouTube channel see y’all on the other side

2024 is here and the Denver Nuggets are on quest to defend their place atop the NBA throne. The first portion of the season yielded mixed results as the Nuggets once again look like a team capable of winning an NBA Championship, although they’ve had to navigate their way through injuries while introducing younger players to more consistent playing time.

Swipa Cam and Ryan Blackburn take a look at what Nuggets Nation can expect from the team throughout the 2024 portion of the NBA season, including their thoughts on Denver’s chances to repeat, Nikola Jokic winning MVP, Michael Malone’s chances at winning Coach of the Year the NBA Trade Deadline.

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