To Believe or Not to Believe – Mile High Report

By: Keith Richards

It’s December 26, 2022. Many hoped for this. Many expected it. I can’t say, though, many were willing to write it in pen. The Denver Nuggets are the number-one seed in the Western Conference in the NBA! At 21-11, Denver is just two games away from having the best record in the whole, which Boston owns at 24-10. To believe or not to believe?

That is the question. At least, that’s part of the question. The full question is whether or not to believe that the Nuggets have a realistic shot to win it all. There are many reasons to believe that Denver will win the championship. There are some reasons not to believe that the Nuggets can win the championship. Let’s discuss them all!

One reason to believe that Denver can win it all is Aaron Gordon. Amid his second full season with the team, Gordon is not just having his best season in a Nuggets uniform. Aaron is having a career year as well. A little over a quarter way through the season, AG is averaging 17.5 points per game, 68% from the field, 39% from three, 6.7 rebounds per game, .9 steals per game, and .8 blocks per game.

68% from the field and 39% from three would both be career highs if that’s where Gordon finished the season. .8 blocks per game would tie his career high and .9 steals per game would be second best. Aaron’s 17.5 points per game are just .1 off his career high of 17.6. No question about it. The Nuggets would not be doing so well if it were not for Aaron Gordon.

A reason not to believe that the Nuggets will win the championship is Michael Porter, Jr. It’s not because of his scoring. Porter is averaging 16 points per game. That’s not the issue. The issue is his health. Denver has played 32 games so far this season. MPJ has missed 14 of those games. So, unfortunately, it’s the same song but a different year when it comes to Michael and the Nuggets. Porter, Jr. just cannot stay healthy. This team is at its absolute best when MPJ is healthy and the scoring threat that he is. If the Nuggets are to win the title, the services of Michael will be needed.

Another reason to believe Denver can win it all is Bruce Brown. In his first season with the team, Brown is averaging 11.1 points per game, 40.6% from three, 4.3 rebounds per game, and 4.2 assists per game. Bruce has been phenomenal for the Nuggets. While the team has always had depth, Bruce Brown has been meaningful depth. Meaning, when needed most, Brown always shows up. That will be valuable moving forward.

Right now, the main reason not to believe the Nuggets can win it all is their defense. It’s not the worst in the league, but it’s not the best. Currently, Denver gives up 114.1 points per game, which is 17th in the league. Fortunately for them, the Nuggets are sixth in the NBA in scoring, averaging 116 points per game. However, their plus 1.8 differential is tight. If they are going to win the title, Denver needs to be closer to the plus 6.2 differential that the Celtics are at right now.

The main reason to believe the Nuggets can win it all is the back-to-back MVP: Nikola Jokic. Jokic is only .5 off the pace of his PER from last season. On top of that, he’s raised his effective field goal percentage by 2.3% from 62% to 64.3%. Nikola is also averaging a career-high 9.4 assists per game, while still averaging 25.4 points per game.

While Jokic is averaging 1.7 points per game less than last season, it’s not a huge dip when considering the contributions from the team. It’s no longer a one-man show, which is what is needed for a championship. Know what is also needed? Nikola is 23rd in the league with a defensive rating of 110.2 and second in the league with a combined plus/minus of plus 238. Right now, Nikola Jokic is very much in the conversation to win his third consecutive MVP title.

So, to believe or not to believe? That is the question. If you do believe, you’ll need some new gear, which you can find here! If you don’t believe it, let us know why. Either way, it’s shaping up to be an exciting finish for the Denver Nuggets. Team Nuts and Bolts will be all over it!