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Portland Trail Blazers: Projecting each Northwest Division team’s record

By Austin Carroll

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 30: Portland Trail Blazers Guard Damian Lillard (0), Portland Trail Blazers Center Jusuf Nurkic (27) and Portland Trail Blazers Forward Al-Farouq Aminu (8) look on during an NBA game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Los Angeles Clippers on January 30, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 30: Portland Trail Blazers Guard Damian Lillard (0), Portland Trail Blazers Center Jusuf Nurkic (27) and Portland Trail Blazers Forward Al-Farouq Aminu (8) look on during an NBA game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Los Angeles Clippers on January 30, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Portland Trail Blazers – Nikola Jokic is guarded by Jusuf Nurkic (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

Denver Nuggets

  • Additions: Jerami Grant, Bol Bol
  • Losses: Isaiah Thomas, Trey Lyles, Tyler Lydon

What a concoction the Denver Nuggets have on their hands, it almost seems unfair.

One of the youngest teams in the league? Check.
One of the deepest teams in the league? Check.
No major moving parts over the summer? Check.

The Nuggets will return last year’s 54-28 and No. 2 seeded squad to the court this upcoming season, only looking better than ever. Nikola Jokic just turned 24-years-old and is already one of the league’s premier players.

With Jokic at the helm, the rest of the Nuggets squad will continually have open looks thanks to his excellent court awareness and ball distribution abilities. Last year the Serbian big man averaged 7.3 assists per game. 37 percent of all his teammates’ field goals came from a Jokic assist while he was on the court. That percentage eclipses even some of the NBA’s best point guards.

Expect Jamal Murray and Gary Harris to leap up backcourt rankings with offseason development and building their chemistry while Jokic sets the table for easy looks. Already with an elite starting lineup, the Nuggets also have the luxury of one of the NBA’s best benches.

Denver’s bench features the likes of rapidly rising duo of guards Monte Morris and Malik Beasley. The pair combined for 21.7 points per game off the bench last year and were an offensive catalyst whenever the starting unit came off the floor. Additionally, Torrey Craig experienced a bit of a career renaissance and became a defensive cornerstone for the Nuggets off the bench. Their newest acquisition — Jerami Grant — could also warrant serious attention as a potential Sixth Man of the Year candidate.

The news that Michael Porter Jr. and Bol Bol are still experiencing serious injury issues is cause for concern. Coupled with the fact that Denver’s bench will be full reclamation projects taken late in the draft, means the Nuggets will have a dearth of veteran presence. More players like Paul Millsap who can help guide the team could be crucial for a competitive team this young.

Perhaps that negative could be flipped into a positive though. With so many interesting young prospects, they could be flipped for a star at the trade deadline to rip open Denver’s championship window. An upgrade at either forward position would make one of the NBA’s best teams even more scary.

Projected Record: (57-25, No. 1 seed)

Next. Dame, CJ withdraw from Team USA training camp. dark

The Portland Trail Blazers will surely have their work cut out for them next season as they try to run the gauntlet in the NBA’s toughest division. Perhaps this trial by fire will be what’s necessary to complete their first championship run since 1977.