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This team won the title in 2022-23:

Murray / Ish Smith
KCP / Braun
MPJ /Brown / Peyton Watson
Gordon / Jeff Green / Vlatko Čančar / Zeke Nnaji
Jokic / DeAndre Jordan

They lost Brown, Green and KCP in free agency and had little depth. In the last 48 hours they've made some moves

The team for next season looks like

Murray / Brown
Braun / THJ / Watson
Johnson / Strawther
Gordon / Nnaji / Tyson
Jokic / Valančiūnas / Holmes

Bolded are players who were part of their playoff rotation (2023) or that I expect will be part of their playoff rotation (2026).

Factoring in possible improvements or age decline, is this Nuggets team better than the one that won the title in 2023?

-Luke- wrote:This team won the title in 2022-23:

Murray / Ish Smith
KCP / Braun
MPJ /Brown / Peyton Watson
Gordon / Jeff Green / Vlatko Čančar / Zeke Nnaji
Jokic / DeAndre Jordan

They lost Brown, Green and KCP in free agency and had little depth. In the last 48 hours they've made some moves

The team for next season looks like

Murray / Brown
Braun / THJ / Watson
Johnson / Strawther
Gordon / Nnaji / Tyson
Jokic / Valančiūnas / Holmes

Bolded are players who were part of their playoff rotation (2023) or that I expect will be part of their playoff rotation (2026).

Factoring in possible improvements or age decline, is this Nuggets team better than the one that won the title in 2023?

edit: misread.

Health pending I think this year is better..

Appostis wrote:

-Luke- wrote:This team won the title in 2022-23:

Murray / Ish Smith
KCP / Braun
MPJ /Brown / Peyton Watson
Gordon / Jeff Green / Vlatko Čančar / Zeke Nnaji
Jokic / DeAndre Jordan

They lost Brown, Green and KCP in free agency and had little depth. In the last 48 hours they've made some moves

The team for next season looks like

Murray / Brown
Braun / THJ / Watson
Johnson / Strawther
Gordon / Nnaji / Tyson
Jokic / Valančiūnas / Holmes

Bolded are players who were part of their playoff rotation (2023) or that I expect will be part of their playoff rotation (2026).

Factoring in possible improvements or age decline, is this Nuggets team better than the one that won the title in 2023?

Watson still is on the team? He's a RFA 2026-27

Haven't heard anything to the contrary. He's under SG in the 2ns roster, could have put him under SF.

-Luke- wrote:

Appostis wrote:

-Luke- wrote:This team won the title in 2022-23:

Murray / Ish Smith
KCP / Braun
MPJ /Brown / Peyton Watson
Gordon / Jeff Green / Vlatko Čančar / Zeke Nnaji
Jokic / DeAndre Jordan

They lost Brown, Green and KCP in free agency and had little depth. In the last 48 hours they've made some moves

The team for next season looks like

Murray / Brown
Braun / THJ / Watson
Johnson / Strawther
Gordon / Nnaji / Tyson
Jokic / Valančiūnas / Holmes

Bolded are players who were part of their playoff rotation (2023) or that I expect will be part of their playoff rotation (2026).

Factoring in possible improvements or age decline, is this Nuggets team better than the one that won the title in 2023?

Watson still is on the team? He's a RFA 2026-27

Haven't heard anything to the contrary. He's under SG in the 2ns roster, could have put him under SF.

Just misread where he was not on the SF rotation.

NAW could of tipped the scales for sure but they are making some great moves around the margin. JV is an amazing backup big, if BB returns to his ring season level...

All healthy? Current Nuggets

They need a better backup lead guard. I see brown as a wing.

The team for next season looks like

Murray / Brown / Pickett
Braun / THJ
Johnson / Strawther / Tyson
Gordon / Watson / Nnaji
Jokic / Valančiūnas / Holmes

They should be a pretty good team, especially offensively. Defensively is where the problems exist. Gordon is the only guy i would rate as a good defender in their starting lineup. But maybe Adelman improves their overall team defense. He certainly had their unit playing above their heads defensively vs the Thunder series. We’ll see.

Sobering reality is Denver can be better this year and still not make it out of the 2nd round because the West is that good. The west was a joke when Denver won their ring 2 years ago.

2023 playoff Murray was something else, ill go with them because i highly doubt he returns to that form again

I think so. Will also be interesting to see what Adelman can do with the squad given a full season

ball_takes23 wrote:2023 playoff Murray was something else, ill go with them because i highly doubt he returns to that form again

Yep, that was really the motivation behind making this thread. I think the current roster looks better on paper, but Murray is really the X factor. Can 2026 Murray reach 2023 Murray? I think if he comes close, that team is a top 3 title contender.

You forgot Jalen Pickett, he gottta be in the rotation. He is their only backup PG

Jamal Murray / Jalen Pickett
Christian Braun / Bruce Brown / Julian Strawther
Cam Johnson / Peyton Watson / Tim Hardaway Jr. / Hunter Tyson
Aaron Gordon / DeRon Holmes / Zeke Nnaji
Nicola Jokic / Jonas Valanciunas

They still have one more roster spot open, please go get a PG, unless they are comfortable with Pickett?

-Luke- wrote:

ball_takes23 wrote:2023 playoff Murray was something else, ill go with them because i highly doubt he returns to that form again

Yep, that was really the motivation behind making this thread. I think the current roster looks better on paper, but Murray is really the X factor. Can 2026 Murray reach 2023 Murray? I think if he comes close, that team is a top 3 title contender.

I think he was good last playoff, not great, but consider the defense that were allow to be played in this playoffs, and then compare his numbers and shooting splits with other #2 even #1 like Edwards, Brown, Harden, or Hali etc.,, I think he played above his regular season self. He stepped up his defense too. Remember they only played 6 guys and their best shooter was playing with one limb, so nothing was easy for him and Jokic. Also Jokic had a bad series too so things were even harder for him.

If nothing else, they're deeper.

No. Murray was on another level then.

It's certainly a deeper and more versatile lineup.

Depends a lot on injuries and how washed Hardaway and Jonas are.

Yesterday I was ecstatic but today it's more of a hangover attitude. Should be good, but I'm trying to temper expectations.

After all I thought Saric was going to be a great fit.

On paper, yes. Way better. Starting 5 were on the same level last 3 years. In 2022-23 season their bench was Bruce Brown, rookie Christian Braun and way past his prime Jeff Green. This bench is obviously better. Bruce Brown, THJ, Strawther, Watson, Jonas. But it doesn't mean anything. What I have learned folowing NBA is healthiest team wins. Last season Celtics were favourites. We all know how it went. Before that Nuggets were favourites. GSW before them. And each year defending champs were killed by injuries.

So I wish the best of luck to OKC and every other contending team. This season playoffs can be really good. We saw it last season with Clippers - finaly healthy vs Nuggets in the 1st round. It was great series when everybody already forgot Clippers exist.

So, lets start new season, can't wait any longer.

They’re deeper now, but they’re still relying on Murray. If he doesn't deliver, it doesn't matter how deep they are—they simply don't have enough talent to beat OKC or the Rockets.

At least they’re deeper now—I still can’t figure out how they managed to stretch OKC to 7 games.

However, I'm still missing a veteran backup point guard. If they add someone like Russ, CP3, Malcolm Brogdon, Lowry, or even Cameron Payne, I think they'll be set to fight for a ring this year. (Specially Brodgon, it would be perfect for them).

Among the young guys, I believe Watson is the one who can really elevate the team. He should be playing 15-20 minutes per game in the regular season.

On short list of 3- 4 teams that can win title next year.

Deeper, for sure. Better is simply determined by the end result. Competition will be tougher in 2025-26, so that is TBD.