The recent flurry of injuries that have ravaged this OKC Thunder team has officially opened the door for fans and pundits to cast doubt on the club's title aspirations.
The latest figure to question their supremacy is sports journalist and The Ringer founder Bill Simmons.
This week on his podcast, he dished out his honest thoughts on who he currently has pegged as favorites to take home the 2026 Larry O'Brien Trophy, and, to much surprise, it wasn't the Thunder.
"I used to have OKC as the sole favorite. I have now moved Denver into that group together, partly because this no-(Nikola Jokic) run was so important for their young guys. I mean, (Peyton) Watson in January is averaging 23 and six a game. Whatever happens when Joker comes back, the fact that they know that they have what they got from Watson and (Jaden) Pickett, even a little Nnaji, I just think you can't put a price on that," Simmons said.
Simmons has a valid case. The Nuggets are 9-6 in Jokic's absence, boasting signature wins against the Raptors, Celtics, and Sixers. Jamal Murray has stepped up as the go-to option in Joker's place, and is averaging a ridiculous 27.8 points and 8.5 assists along the way.
On top of this, Watson, Pickett, and Nnaji, as Simmons said, have come into their own, and third-year man Julian Strawther just recorded a 20-point game in Friday's win against the Bucks.
This stretch has truly shown what Denver's roster is capable of, and it is coming on the heels of prolonged absences from starters Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun.
Despite nonstop injuries to core players, Denver's bolstered roster is third in the West at 31-16.
Nuggets are beating the Thunder at their own game
While the Nuggets battle through this stretch, the Thunder have been dealing with their own onslaught of injuries, and they have been hoping to see growth out of their own supporting cast. Unfortunately, they still appear to be searching for scoring answers when superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is off the floor.
With key pieces like Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell missing from the lineup, no one on OKC's roster has stepped up to fill the void.
Aaron Wiggins has only had one game with more than 13 points scored since J-Dub's injury, and Isaiah Joe has shot inconsistently from beyond the arc. Kenrich Williams was looking like he might take the next step in the scoring department before he registered just three points in Tuesday's low-scoring win against the Pelicans.
The difference in role player proficiency between OKC and Denver in the month of January has obviously been a significant difference-maker in Simmons' eyes, and it is tough to blame him.
The Thunder's inability to rely on players outside of their stars has made them look one-dimensional on offense, reminiscent of the Nuggets team they faced in last year's playoffs.
In the Western Conference Semifinals, it took OKC seven games to take down Jokic and the hobbled Nuggets.
Russell Westbrook had left a game against the Clippers early with left foot inflammation, Michael Porter Jr. was dealing with a shoulder injury, and Aaron Gordon played through game seven with a grade two hamstring strain.
It was the incredible depth of the Thunder that tipped the scales in their favor, as Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe all played integral roles in OKC's series wins. All the while, Denver hardly received any production from its bench, as starters routinely played 40-plus minutes.
This year, it appears the tables have turned, as the Nuggets are proving to be the deeper team amid their injury-plagued start to their season.
If they can rest their core players enough before the start of the playoffs, the Thunder might have a tough time matching their depth over the span of a seven-game series.
With the two teams set to face off in just a few days, Simmons will soon find out if his claim has merit.
Considering both are still struggling to put healthy bodies on the floor, we could see a matchup of role players, though such a game might only give fans more insight into what a playoff series between these two Western Conference juggernauts could look like.