The OKC Thunder were swept by the Denver Nuggets last season and the teams experienced extremely different offseasons. How do they match up in 2019-20?
While the OKC Thunder were perennial playoff seeds the Denver Nuggets spent five straight campaigns heading to the lottery including back to back seasons when they were knocked out in the final game. This past year the Nuggets vowed to change their fate and not only secured a seed well before game 82, they landed the second overall seed in the Western Conference.
Arguably no team in the association made a bigger ascent last season than Denver. What made the team’s massive improvement all the more impressive was the duo who led them. Nikola Jokic was viewed as one of the league’s best big men with a highly unique skill set but his on court leadership was a significant reason behind the Nuggets’ success.
Likewise, Jamal Murray took strides to improve all aspects of his production in just his third year and while the ball tended to run through Jokic, Murray assumed the role of point guard which isn’t his natural position.
The combination of the pair’s production was paramount to the Nuggets’ win total. The duo provided the consistency for the Nuggets in a year when Denver was constantly hampered by player injuries. Jokic and Murray missed a cumulative eight games but the rest of the core contributors on the Nuggets roster missed 184 man games.
The big question entering the 2019-20 season is whether Denver can maintain or ascend to the top of the West or if the teams who made the big offseason moves will surpass them.
The Basics:
2018-19 Record: 54-28
Playoff Seed: Second seed in the West. Defeated the Spurs in round one (4-3) and then lost in another seven-game series to the Blazers in round two (3-4).
Head Coach: Mike Malone begins his fifth season as the bench boss.
Points per game: Ranked 20th (110.7) | Opponent points per game: Ranked 6th (106.7)
Pace: Ranked 27th (97.7) | Offensive Rating: Ranked 6th (113.0) | Defensive Rating: Ranked 10th (108.9 )
Vegas Odds:
Win-Loss: 53.0 games
Odds to NBA Title: +1600
Odds to Win Conference: +1200
* Odds courtesy of The Action Network.
If a team had the OKC Thunder figured out last season the Nuggets could easily lay claim to those rights. In the four-game series sweep Denver won by an average of 9.25 points. Next up, let’s look at the offseason changes made by the Nuggets and review what to expect when the team’s tipoff versus each other in the 2019-20 season.