The Denver Nuggets are in trouble

There is an advantage to playing in Denver - the altitude. Nary is there a Spurs game in The Mile High City where Sean Elliott doesn’t mention the difference it makes for players who are acclimated versus players coming through on a road trip.

Additionally, we are talking about the 2023 NBA Champions, so it stands to reason that Denver should be heading to Minnesota with a 2-0 lead, or at the very least a split.

But dropping game one at home and then losing the second by 26 points exposes more than just chinks in the armor, the Nuggets are not positioned to make a second trip to the NBA Finals.

Considering that Minnesota was missing starting center and four-time (and now reigning) Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, the Nuggets path to victory should have been closer than in game one.

If we’re being honest, the Nuggets didn’t look good during their first series. The Lakers spent most of the time on top, but Denver was able to fire the jets in the final minutes to come from behind victories.

Jamal Murray made two highlight-worthy buzzer-beaters during the four-game series. In reality, they should have never needed final shots to decide the games. The Lakers had to play-in for a shot in the postseason, the Nuggets were tied for first place in the Western Conference.

Sure, the Lakers were ultimately thwarted in five games, but a missed shot here and there and the reigning champs are fighting their way to the Western Conference Semifinals.

With Karl-Anthony Towns and Gobert in the paint, Nikola Jokic is having to adjust his gameplan. In Game 1, The Joker went for 32 points with 8 rebounds and 9 assists, just teasing of a triple-double. In Game 2, he scored half as many points. But adding sixteen to his tally would not have changed the outcome of Game 2.

Michael Porter, Jr., Jamal Murray, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope all scored in single-digits.

As for Minnesota, when Anthony Edwards isn’t making his case for best player in the league, Naz Reid is adding to the reasons he was awarded NBA Sixth Man of the Year.

Between Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tyrese Halliburton and Darius Garland, it looks like the youngsters are ready to start knocking some of the “elders” to the side and take the spotlight.

Will the Denver Nuggets get swept?

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