While the arms race continues to punctuate the offseason, the Nuggets are back with an almost unchanged roster. Why change a winning team? This is undoubtedly what the leaders of the Colorado franchise must have said to themselves, who felt that this hard core, despite the losses of Bruce Brown and Jeff Green, had the necessary talent to defend its title of NBA champion.
Back at the pre-season press conference, with the Larry O’Brien trophy in full view, Jamal Murray And Nikola Jokic shared their determination to go for the double.
“I think we can do it again”, launched the Canadian leader. “The most important thing will be to be able to do the double and get through the adversity and the ups and downs of this season. We will just have to be ready in April with the aim of going until June.”
For the Serbian pivot too, his Nuggets seem capable of achieving the same course as last season and going to the end. “We will have to try to win as many matches as possible while trying to have fun during this period. We have to look for this opportunity to win one more. This will probably be the next step for us. But like Jamal said, why not win again? “.
A tandem that can continue to grow
Nuggets coach Mike Malone has a little more precise idea of what awaits his troops who will evolve with a target on their backs throughout the season.
Because everyone will want to pay for the reigning champion. What is certain is that Denver’s season will be anything but a smooth ride. Beyond the sporting aspect, the strategist will therefore warn his players about the mental level required to return to the Finals and win there two years in a row.
“It’s definitely a concern. John Wooden, the legendary UCLA coach, said a great phrase on this subject, which applies to our group: ‘To win, you have to be talented. To win twice in a row, you have to have character… We have talent. But are we going to think about last season? Because in my eyes, last season is over”recalled Mike Malone.
For his two leaders too, Coach Malone has a plan. For Jamal Murray, it will be about proving that he has the ability to return to his incredible level displayed in the playoffs (26.1 points at almost 40% 3-point success, 7.1 assists, 5.7 rebounds on average over 20 games ) throughout the regular season.
Making Jamal Murray an All-Star
“My challenge for Jamal is to show that he can do over the season what he did over twenty playoff games. Because what Jamal did in the playoffs was incredible,” he added. “I want him to be an All-Star, to be selected to an All-NBA Team. It must be at the level in October, in November. He can’t afford a delay in ignition. The guys who are on top of their game, they do it every night.”
For Nikola Jokic, the challenge will be more global, with the focus on leadership and how he can raise the level of the rest of the team through that.
“The biggest challenge for Nikola is to continue to find ways to be a leader, to be more vocal,” continued Mike Malone. “I never tell Nikola to go home and work on his left-handed hook. For a few years, it was about evolving, facing adversity, improving your fitness, getting stronger. He’s a two-time MVP, and he’s a “world champion.” But there is always room for development.”
