The Timberwolves finished the season, but the Nuggets’ repeat attempt was problematic from the start. They must now make painful decisions in order to restore their dynastic dreams.
The Denver Nuggets’ dream of winning two championships in a row has come to an end. However, for their general manager, going back-to-back was never the first priority.
“I just want dudes that we try to develop, and it’s sustainable,” Nuggets General Manager Calvin Booth told me last August. “If it costs us the opportunity to win a championship this season, then be it. It’s a worthwhile investment. It is more important to win three out of six, three out of seven, and four out of eight than to try to go back-to-back.”
This quote is from a feature published on opening night about the Nuggets’ hopes of building a dynasty. There was real optimism that Nikola Jokic could power the Nuggets to back-to-back titles, making them the first team to do it since the Warriors did it in 2017 and 2018. Denver was the clear favorite to win it all again, despite losing two key rotation players in Bruce Brown and Jeff Green to free agency. But only rookies and journeyman vets were added to plug in the gaps. With the new collective bargaining agreement presenting massive team-building challenges for teams that are well over the luxury tax, adding young players felt like a reasonable approach. But the Nuggets’ lack of depth was the one hole critics could poke in its case to run it back.
