3 teams who may leapfrog the Grizzlies in 2022-23

Denver Nuggets are ready for takeoff after injury setbacks

Since making the Conference Finals in 2020, it seems like luck has turned its back on Denver. Jamal Murray hasn’t played basketball since April 2021, due to his ACL injury, while Michael Porter Jr.’s back surgery kept him away from the court for almost the entire 2021-22 season.

Despite Nikola Jokic’s gigantic efforts, which resulted in him winning back-to-back MVPs, the Nuggets haven’t managed to be a real threat in the West for the last two seasons. However, with their two stars returning back healthy at the start of next season, Denver has every right to dream big.

The Nuggets were quite active this offseason, adding two players that could be the difference makers for them. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a 3-and-D specialist that plays perfectly off the ball, will be a much better fit in the starting lineup than Will Barton, while his defense is much needed in a western conference loaded with talented wings. Also, signing Bruce Brown makes them more versatile defensively, as Bruce can successfully defend positions one through four.

With Jamal Murray and MPJ alongside Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets are going to be one of the most dangerous offensive forces in the league. If KCP and Brown are enough to fix their defensive weaknesses, then they could be a legitimate title contender. If a depleted Nuggets’ roster could avoid the play-in and be a sixth seed last season, then the Memphis Grizzlies and the rest of the western conference should feel worried about what Denver’s real ceiling might be when they’re 100% healthy.