Just a month ago, the narrative surrounding the Denver Nuggets was one of fatigue and a thinning rotation. Critics pointed to a lack of bench depth and the heavy minutes being logged by their starters. But as we hit the December home stretch, the 2023 champions have sent a thunderous message to the rest of the league: the road to the Finals still runs through the Mile High City.
The MVP Frontrunner Distances Himself
Nikola Jokic is currently performing at a level that defies traditional basketball logic. Averaging a triple-double with 30+ points on nearly 60% shooting over his last ten games, Jokic has reclaimed his spot as the undisputed MVP frontrunner. However, it’s not just the individual brilliance—it’s the efficiency with which he is dismantling elite defenses.
In Saturday’s statement win against the surging Oklahoma City Thunder, Jokic operated as a basketball grandmaster, neutralizing Chet Holmgren’s length and orchestrating a masterpiece that left the league’s best defense looking disorganized.
The “Bench Mob” Finds Its Identity
The real catalyst for Denver’s 9-1 run in December hasn’t been the starters, but the emergence of their secondary unit. For the first time since their title run, the Nuggets’ bench is outscoring opponents.
The development of Julian Strawther and the steady veteran presence of Russell Westbrook have allowed Michael Malone to rest his stars without watching leads evaporate. Westbrook, in particular, has accepted a “chaos agent” role off the bench, providing a spark of intensity and transition play that Denver desperately needed during the dog days of the season.
Shifting the Power Balance
With the Minnesota Timberwolves dealing with minor injuries and the Oklahoma City Thunder facing their first real slump of the season, Denver’s resurgence has flipped the Western Conference power rankings on their head.
The Nuggets now boast the #1 offensive rating in the league, and more importantly, they are playing with a “championship swagger” that was missing in the early weeks. As the trade deadline approaches, Denver looks less like a team looking for help and more like the juggernaut that the rest of the league is scrambling to solve.
Upcoming Must-Watch: The Nuggets face the New York Knicks next week in a clash of the titans that many are already calling a potential Finals preview. If Denver can neutralize the Knicks’ physical defense, the conversation about their “inevitable” return to the top will only grow louder.
