Denver Nuggets Team Review

 

2023-24 Finish: 49-33

 

Season Highlight:

The Nuggets have been a picture of consistency for the past 4 years finishing with 49 or 50 wins in all 4 years, and this year was no exception. They managed to take 2 games off the #2 seeded Wolves in Round 1, but did fall. The highlight this year has to be doing it again, but also finally seeing what the team looked like healthy to be able to make judgements on the now and the future. For years Dig has been waiting for Klay Thompson, and this year he played 78 games. MPJ played the full 82 after years of derailed seasons. Sabonis too, also played 82 games and this allowed them to see what they had with, and without Steph, as he missed a few himself. Despite Steph being Steph, Dig was able to judge where he was at and how whether the window was open enough to keep playing with the aging legend, and decided he’d move on to a younger version while also picking up some solid depth pieces along the way. Health, the highlight, allowing future planning.

 

Season Lowlight:

Despite it being their decision entirely, the lowlight has to be seeing the end of the tenure of the teams long serving star and franchise face. Steph Curry walked through the doors for the last time and is currently the #2 scorer in NSL history, despite playing 70 fewer games that the leader, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and his 4 years of service might almost be a record for service to a team from a star player in this league. There will never be another Steph Curry, even if Donovan Mitchell might masquerade as Steph out there, and it’ll take many a year for his Denver leading scoring, assist and 3pt records to be broken.

 

Best Trade:

Nuggets send: Steph Curry, Thomas Bryant, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Minnesota 2025 2^nd, Phoenix 2027 2^nd and Denver 2028 2^nd

Nuggets receive: Donovan Mitchell, Caleb Martin, Nick Richards and Danilo Gallinari

 

There’s only two trades to choose from for Nuggets best trade, and the other is so insignificant that it doesn’t bear mentioning. Steph might be gone, but Mitchell can fill the Steph role to a fair percentage. Richards stands to be a great value 2k C with some upside. Martin is a solid role player, even if ineffective in 2k, and Gallinari clears come cap. They might end up with 80% of Steph on the court, plus Richards, for 60% of the cost in a team floundering above the 2^nd apron (before FA).

 

Worst Trade:

Nuggets send: 2024 Pick 50 (pre-trade deadline)
Nuggets receive: 40 GM point considerations

Not a bad trade at all, massive value compared to what you would get for this end of season, but it’s the only other trade!

 

Other Notable Trades:

None

 

 

 

Free Agency:

The Nuggets last free agency was all about trying to fil a roster with guys that could actually contribute, but also just fill a roster when the team was severely over the 2^nd apron and only had minimum contracts available to sign for them. They did pretty nicely on the whole. Thomas Bryant was a solid big man edition for a team that lost Willy Hernangomez to Europe. Aaron Holiday can fill in when the pinch was needed and Oshae Brisset had shown a bit over the years. Add this to retaining their 2way big man Neemias Queta and some solid 2ways, and they looked alright in the circumstance.

This year coming, it’ll be all centered around one man, and he’s the man they have wanted to keep for years on a cheaper deal and the chance is finally here. Klay’s oversized deal ends and he’ll be on a much more respectable $1mil per point per game, with likely not many suitors trying to steal him away with a bonus and bird rights in hand. Queta and Christie will be back as RFAs and the rest are here nor there.

 

Star:

Donovan Mitchell

Not often do you get to get off your aging megastar for a guy who is basically in the same mold but far younger. Mitchell instantly is the star here and this move made so much sense in so many ways for the Nuggets. He averaged 33 points after joining the team and could push that higher this year in a favourable engine. They’re going to need him to, too, with Sabonis and MPJ still maybe not quite what they could be, at the moment.

 

Flop:

Domantas Sabonis

Tough, tough call. But this guy is now a 90 in 2k (pre-latest ratings drops at least) and yet as a 7’1 C who dominates the boards and can handle, pass and score, still winds up being a borderline Drew Eubanks in 2k here averaging 11 points and 12 rebounds (not far above what Drew did for the Clips last year). If 2k sorts him out and he becomes the 20+/12 big man he could would and should be, look out.

 

 

Draft Grades:

Pick 20 – Isaiah Collier

Overall Grade: B

The jury is well and truly out with this pick, but you can see why it was done. In reality anyone in the 15-35 range in this draft could be put in a hat and randomly drawn out and you’d probably get the same guy or at least same chance of having a career, and Collier is definitely one of those with a higher upside, despite the risk. I give it a B because it was a reach from the NBA, but as I said, somebody was going to do it, and 20 was right around that spot anyway, so you can’t fault it. Will he pan out? Boom or bust, but then everyone else at this spot probably has role player written on them anyway.

 

The Future:

The future got a little brighter in Denver this year adding Mitchell for Curry, if not only for the 28 year old now being the face, and right in line with big man Sabonis who is 28 also. Only 1 player on the roster is older, and that’s Klay Thompson, who could see himself out the door this year now he’s more tradeable and older than the rest. Despite being set more for the future than they were, they are every bit as likely to drop another 49/50 win season this year with this squad and the cap situation is far better in hand too. Things looking up for Nugs who want to get past that 1^st round!

C: Domantas Sabonis / Nick Richards / Neemias Queta

PF: Jalen Johnson / Patrick Baldwin Jr

SF: Michael Porter Jr. / Max Christie

SG: Klay Thompson / NahShon Hyland / Keon Johnson

PG: Donovan Mitchell / Isaiah Collier / Aaron Holiday