The Houston Rockets may have made the most flashiest move of the NBA offseason, but the Denver Nuggets weren’t too late behind them and had already stepped into Houston at the Western Conference.
There was a very realistic case in the playoffs last season, when the Denver Nuggets were one of the top teams, despite not even appearing in the conference finals.
They beat the LA Clippers in seven games before dividing themselves with the Oklahoma City Thunder and losing after multiple dramatic finishes.
The Houston Rockets made their biggest offseason move by trading with Kevin Durant, but the Nuggets added Cameron Johnson in a deal that parted ways with Michael Porter Jr.
Durant is an all-NBA player when he’s healthy, but he’s definitely past his prime and hasn’t influenced his victory with real ability since his days at Brooklyn Net.
Still, adding Durant to the Rockets’ younger core, the Nuggets are in a better position for one important reason, but they are ready to make the leap.
Simply put, Nikola Djokic is the best player in the world and is easy to build.
“I think Denver and the Houston Rockets had a great summer,” Charles Barkley said. Denver Postbefore he admits that he likes the Nuggets’ odds more than Rocket.
“Denver, they have the best players in the world. They needed a little more depth. They broke the team after winning their first championship. That’s a real shame. They still have the best players. They want to give them as many opportunities as possible.
In addition to Johnson, the Nuggets added notable veterans Jonas Valanciunas, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown. Daron Holmes II is also poised to make his debut after missing out on his rookie season.
Last season, the Rockets finished two games before the Nuggets, but lost in the first round to the Golden State Warriors.
It’s hard to imagine Denver losing to Golden State, but rewriting history is a waste of time.
Despite Houston being a better regular season team, Denver has championship experience. Houston added that Fred Vanbiete’s true heart never actually played winning basketball this summer with Durant.
Denver is also built around the world’s best players, and teams carry themselves that way. Durant is the best scorer in Houston, but is he the face of the franchise? It’s strong that Alperen Sengun or Amen Thompson beat him.
Houston was able to once again rank second in the West in the regular season, but the new-looking nugget addressed the issue of depth while leaning towards offensive strength. And after taking the Thunder to the seven games, they’re already proving they can hang at their best. Houston is a step behind.