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Portland Trail Blazers: Projecting playoff seeding for entire Western Conference

By Carson Brown

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 21: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans fight for position during a game on December 21, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 21: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans fight for position during a game on December 21, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Jamal Murray #27 speaks with teammate Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
Jamal Murray #27 speaks with teammate Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /

Denver Nuggets: 4th Seed

The Denver Nuggets returned to the playoffs last year with a sparkling second seed in the Western Conference. Along with the high seed came an exhilarating seven games series in which the Nuggets overcame Coach Pop and his genius.

The Nuggets have returned their exact same roster with just one addition of rookie center Bol Bol who (barring a major injury) won’t crack the rotation. This Denver team is young and talented and ready to continue the excellence they illustrated last year as the youth is only gaining experience.

Nikola Jokic’s playoff performance solidified him as the league’s best center. He has every skill you could ever ask for in a big man. He scores like a shooting guard, facilitates like point a guard and rebounds like a true center. Jokic truly has the full collection of skills already and the scariest part for everyone else in the league is that he is only twenty four.

Jamal Murray got PAID over the summer but it was well deserved as he emerged in the playoffs as an obvious future star in this league. Paul Millsap had an average year, but his outstanding playoff performance left promise for the Nuggets that there is still life in those aging legs. Millsap is the lone veteran within this Nuggets rotation heading into his 14th year which makes him very valuable as his experience will come in handy down the stretch of a long NBA season.

Among the star duo of Murray and Jokic comes the energy players. Gary Harris and Will Barton bring so much to the table with length and athleticism. Harris’s progression took a step back as he had a down year in the 2018-19 NBA season after excelling the year prior which isn’t something I expect to continue. Harris is young and has all the tools to thrive in this league in the near future. Will Barton has developed into a special sixth man for this Nuggets team with a fuel tank that never seems to run out. Barton is someone who on occasion fills up the stat sheet and can be the difference between a win or a loss for the Nuggets.

The Nuggets’ question mark of the year is Michael Porter Jr. The high school phenom who only stepped on the court for a few minutes at the college level has yet to suit up in Denver. Michael Porter Jr.’s frame and talent gives him the potential to end up being at the top of the league one day, but when will he actually play? If he is truly ready this upcoming year and puts himself into the ROY conversation then the Nuggets are about to turn a corner, but also if he’s a bust that’s not the end of the world for the Nuggets.

This Nuggets team is young, exciting and ready to embark on another lengthy NBA voyage that hopefully ends sometime in late May or early June.