jamal-murray-jokic.jpg
Getty Images

A few months ago, the Denver Nuggets seemed to ascend out of nowhere. One moment, they were on the verge of losing in the first round to a shorthanded, lower-seeded opponent. The next, they were history makers, having overcome two 3-1 deficits to advance to the Western Conference finals.

The truth is that the Nuggets, like most "overnight" success stories, had been working toward that for years. They drafted franchise center Nikola Jokic in the second round in the summer of 2015, 10 days after they hired coach Michael Malone. They went 33-49 the next season, which put them in a position to select franchise point guard Jamal Murray with the No. 7 pick in the 2016 draft. To properly appreciate the Bubble Nuggets, you must understand the team's recent history.

Denver went 40-42 in Murray's first season and 46-36 in his second, both times missing the playoffs by a single game. There have been significant roster moves since then, but the continuity is what stands out. In the Nuggets' final preseason game on Friday, Murray and Jokic started next to Gary Harris, Will Barton and Paul Millsap. Monte Morris, the second-round steal who just signed a three-year, $27 million extension, came off the bench. All of them were on the 2017-18 team that came up short in a de facto play-in game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, a loss that served as motivation for the 54-win season that followed. Harris and Barton predate Malone and Jokic. 

Unlike many of their competitors, the Nuggets have not had the luxury of attracting superstars in free agency. They've had a different luxury: Time. Over four seasons, Murray and Jokic have developed the kind of chemistry that can define a franchise for a generation. There are other guards who can hit deep 3s off the dribble and finish around giants, and there are other centers who can facilitate offense, but together they have a two-man game unlike any other.

After one of his playoff masterpieces against the Utah Jazz, Malone said that Murray was "turning into a superstar on the biggest stage." After their Game 3 win over the Lakers, Malone declared that the Nuggets have two superstars. Their challenge now is to build on the momentum they created, with a roster that has gone through some slight changes by a typical team's standards, but has had a full-on makeover by Denver's. 

Barton is back after missing the bubble with a knee injury, and he wants to start. Michael Porter Jr. will have a bigger role, and JaMychal Green will fill some of the minutes that went to Jerami Grant, the forward who did a bit of everything in the postseason, and Mason Plumlee, the center who followed Grant to Detroit. Facundo Campazzo, the Argentinian sensation the Nuggets poached from Real Madrid, will give Jokic some competition for best passer on the team. Fortunately for Denver, it's easier to move parts around when you know the structure is solid. 

Taking the temperature

Nuggets believer: The Nuggets put the league on notice in the bubble, and while I always liked to watch them play, I'm much higher on them now than I've ever been. When you factor in the Giannis fatigue, the Harden trade request and the Lakers' two superstars cancelling each other out, the stage is set for Jokic to win his first MVP award. Murray could very well make All-NBA, too -- all they have to do is pick up where they left off. 

And you might as well pencil in Porter for Most Improved Player right now.

Nuggets skeptic: That's awfully generous, especially considering the short layoff, the stiff competition in the West and the fact they lost the three good defenders they had on the bench. The Nuggets could play extremely well and still finish sixth or seventh. They barely made it out of the first round last season, and there's no way you would be saying any of this if Mike Conley's last-second shot had gone in. 

Are you really not worried about their defense or how the offseason went? 

Nuggets believer: Am I not? I am not! Retaining Grant for $20 million a season would have been an absolute disaster. Green will defend just fine, and I like the versatility the Nuggets will have on the second unit now that they don't have to back up Jokic with a traditional big man every night. Green and Millsap can both play 5, and they can throw Isaiah Hartenstein out there if they want a lob-catcher. 

Are you not absolutely obsessed with Campazzo yet? Are you not ready for the Bol Bol experience? 

Nuggets skeptic: Green was a solid fallback option, but he can't do what Grant or Craig did. If they don't feel that loss of defensive versatility in the regular season, they certainly will in the playoffs. I appreciate Campazzo's passing as much as the next guy, but I don't buy that they can get away with playing him and Monte Morris together defensively. 

Porter is full of potential, sure, and to a lesser extent Bol is, too. I'm just not going to assume that anybody who was in the bubble will make some sort of massive leap this season. The Nuggets had more time off during the hiatus. 

Nuggets believer: Porter went from one of the worst defenders in the NBA to a guy who was making high-level defensive plays at the rim in the playoffs. He didn't just improve from the pre-hiatus portion of the season to the bubble; he improved in the bubble. He could totally be a plus defender by the time the 2021 playoffs arrive -- one of the benefits of Grant's departure is that he'll get a ton of reps. I'm hoping that Bol will get some reps, too. 

The Nuggets were actually better on both ends with Grant on the bench in the regular season and the playoffs. It was nice that he could shift to the 3 when they needed him to, but that's less necessary now that Barton is healthy. Barton was playing the best basketball of his life before his knee injury, by the way, and Malone raved about P.J. Dozier all through training camp and the preseason. Don't forget him!

Nuggets skeptic: I didn't forget Dozier. I'm just not counting on him playing a meaningful role for a title contender. But sure, if Porter becomes an awesome two-way player, if Bol and Dozier become every-night rotation players, if the smallball units are successful, if Barton plays just like he did before his injury, if Harris returns to his 2017-18 form, if Murray and Jokic stay healthy and produce like superstars all season long, if Campazzo becomes the first 30-year-old to hoist the Rookie of the Year trophy, then yes, this will be an incredible team. That's a lot of ifs, buddy. 

Nuggets believer: If you focus on the little things that are different or could go wrong, you'll miss the bigger picture, which is this: The Nuggets have been patiently building this program for years, and a few months ago we all saw the payoff. I began this conversation by saying they put the league on notice, but the more important thing is that they proved to themselves that their formula can work at the highest level. I don't know how to quantify the value of an experience like that, but I know it can propel a team even higher.

Eye on: Facundo Campazzo

Campazzo is a madman. He moves around the court like he's in a desperate hurry, but he clearly reads the game in slow motion. It's not just that other point guards can't make the kind of passes he does out of pick-and-rolls; it's that they wouldn't even think to try. 

At 29 years old, Campazzo has been starring in Euroleague and FIBA competition for a while, but he's coming to the NBA in his prime. There are questions about how Denver will manage its crowded guard rotation, but nobody who has watched him play doubts his ability.