Denver Nuggets Wild Card

Human nature suggests that once a player or team reaches the pinnacle of NBA excellence, it can be natural to get comfortable and regress; the Denver Nuggets certainly didn’t receive that memo. Upping their win total from 53 in 2022-23 to 57 in 2023-24, the league’s defending champions found a way to turn many of their most redeemable traits into something better, even with a much-improved Western Conference placing a bullseye on their chest. As consistent as he is dominant, Nikola Jokić remains the driving force, likely supplanting himself atop the league’s Most Valuable Player race in a season that included the most assists ever by a center in a single season (708), the finish of his triple-double-against-every-team bingo board, and the Nuggets’ highest win total in their 48-season NBA existence. His pick-and-roll running mate, Jamal Murray, remained elite, tying his career-best in points (21.2) on perhaps its best efficiency; Michael Porter Jr., a nightly threat to be the game’s top scorer, also located an extra gear after the All-Star break. Armed with superstar talent, top-of-the-line supporting cast members such as Aaron Gordon and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and a pivotal mixture of combination and experience, the Nuggets’ repeat chances remain strong. This Fandom 'Wild Card' Redemption can be crafted into a Denver Nuggets Moment after each round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs.