THE NUGGETS had heard it all, ad nauseum. Nikola Jokić can't play defense. Jamal Murray can't do it outside of the bubble. They can't win on the road. They were terrible down the stretch. The West just wasn't that good this year. They'll be exposed in the playoffs.
For nearly an entire season, it seemed like the discourse around Denver centered on why this team couldn't win an NBA championship despite being the No. 1 seed in its conference. Whether this was tied to the skepticism around Jokić's two MVPs or simply the result of faith in bigger names on other teams-including Phoenix, where a midseason trade added Kevin Durant to pair with Devin Booker-the Nuggets hadn't exactly been a sexy Finals pick over the past few months. Headed into the playoffs, many oddsmakers gave them the fifth-or sixth-best chance to win a title, despite having a fully healthy roster for the first time in years.
This story is from the DENVER NUGGETS - 2023 NBA Champions | Special Commemorative Issue edition of Sports Illustrated US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the DENVER NUGGETS - 2023 NBA Champions | Special Commemorative Issue edition of Sports Illustrated US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In