The Nuggets entered the season with a fairly clean path in front of them, at least on paper. The idea was simple enough: the balance of power had shifted east, the West had two clear heavyweights in the Thunder and Spurs, and Denver looked positioned to slide into that third spot and cruise through the regular season.
That picture has changed fast.
Almost a month into the season, the Western Conference looks every bit as unforgiving as it usually does, and maybe more so. The East teams that drew the buzz have stumbled, while the West has been dominant in head-to-head matchups. What looked like a conference with a couple of obvious front-runners and a lot of empty space has turned into a crowded race.
The depth is the problem for Denver. There are now 10 legitimate playoff contenders in the West, and plenty of them are playing above expectations. That leaves the Nuggets in a nightly fight just to keep pace.
San Antonio is still rolling at 10-2 with 10 straight wins, looking exactly like the team people expected. Oklahoma City has already been hit by a wave of major injuries, but as long as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is upright, the Thunder still look like the favorite in almost every game they play.
The next tier has been just as troublesome for Denver. Houston and the Lakers have both outperformed expectations, and both can be taken seriously in the race for the Western crown. Los Angeles is off to an 11-2 start, with Luka Doncic in the MVP conversation, while Houston sits close behind at 9-3.
The Timberwolves have also refused to slip after losing Anthony Edwards to injury. Instead, LaMelo Ball and Rudy Gobert have kept them moving.
Then there are the teams that have taken another step entirely. Golden State looks real, with Steph Curry playing at an MVP level and Yaxel Lendeborg emerging as an early Rookie of the Year candidate.
Portland has been better than anyone expected, and Damian Lillard looks healthy. On top of that, the Grizzlies and Mavericks are ahead of schedule thanks to a pair of incredible teenagers, Cam Boozer and Cooper Flagg.
For Denver, that adds up to a brutal math problem: 10 teams for eight playoff spots, and several of those teams are aiming higher than simply making the postseason. The Nuggets are 6-4 and sitting 10th in the conference, which is not where they wanted to be this early.
The season was always going to be a grind, but it’s already looking even tougher than expected. Denver is going to have to be sharper than ever, because every night in this conference is starting to feel like a battle. The Nuggets still need to stay fresh if they want a real shot when the playoffs arrive, but that’s going to be difficult with so many teams pushing hard around them.
In Other News...
Nets Fans Should Watch One Costly Trade Possibility Closely
The Spurs have already spent much of the offseason locking in the group that helped them last season, and they added veteran forward Tobias Harris as part of a push to improve their shooting. Harris is now sidelined with a calf injury, which only adds a little more uncertainty to a roster that was built with an eye toward spacing and reliable perimeter production.
Against that backdrop, media speculation has started to circle around another possible move that would further address those same needs. For Brooklyn, it is the kind of trade chatter worth monitoring closely because it points to a team looking for more shooting help on the wing, and it could become one of the more expensive options on the market if San Antonio decides to keep pressing in that direction. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Trade Buzz Around Aaron Gordon Just Got More Complicated
The Nuggets front office appears willing to at least hear people out on Aaron Gordon and Cam Johnson, which is enough to keep the rumor mill busy without signaling a true shakeup. Rival teams have had interest in both forwards since the last trade deadline, but Denver passed on making any moves then, and the current posture sounds more like due diligence than a full-on sale.
Still, the situation could shift depending on how the season is going as the deadline gets closer. Denver already turned away approaches for Johnson before, and if the team is hovering around the middle of the standings again, those conversations could get revisited in a more serious way. For now, the Nuggets seem content to keep their options open and let the market come to them. [Read more 🡒]
Nikola Jokic Just Got Caught In A Nuggets Concern Fans Will Feel
Colorado voters just approved Amendment 87, and the ripple effect reaches well beyond the ballot box for Denvers biggest sports stars. The measure creates a graduated state income tax that will begin hitting income above $500,000 in 2027, a change that is set to matter most for the citys highest earners, including Nikola Jokic.
For the Nuggets, it is another reminder that the business side of stardom can change quickly even when the on-court picture stays the same. Jokic, along with other prominent figures such as Kris Bryant and Deion Sanders, stands to feel the new structure in a meaningful way, with Colorados top marginal rate climbing to 8.4% on the highest slice of income. [Read more 🡒]