Opinion
Safe to say, the NBA trade period shook things up dramatically in both the east and the west.
What everyone thought would be the headline trade deal involving Kyrie Irving joining the Dallas Mavericks would suddenly have the spotlight moved over to Kevin Durant’s emphatic signing for the Phoenix Suns.
Durant is a proven champion who is undoubtedly one of the most talented players this generation has witnessed.
The 35-year-old is blessed with a rare 2.25m wingspan, and impressive versatility with his quickness and range of shooting to make him one of the most efficient shooters in the NBA.
Arizona is now his next destination where he will be suiting up for the Phoenix Suns after he gets over his latest injury.
Kevin Durant. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
The Brooklyn experiment failed miserably with Irving which will undoubtedly taint Durant’s legacy in the game no matter how you spin it.
Phoenix is where he knows he has a great opportunity to win a championship, with a superstar in Devin Booker, a natural point guard in Chris Paul, along with a physical beast in Deandre Ayton who can dominate in the paint and grab a heap of rebounds.
Only three times have Phoenix reached the NBA finals, the most recent being two seasons ago when they fell short to the Milwaukee Bucks. They have experience on their side.
In saying that, don’t write off the Denver Nuggets just yet. They are the number one team in the western conference as it stands and is still the team to beat in the west.
The Suns swept the Nuggets 4-0 in the conference semi-finals last year without the presence of KD but that doesn’t change the fact that one year can make a whole lot of difference.
Denver have proved recently that they have matured and are more consistent, with injured players out from that series against Phoenix now back on the floor.
Home-court advantage has to be mentioned. Colorado is considered the most brutal place to travel for any side facing the Nuggets, owning a 26-4 record this season at the Ball Arena.
Fascinatingly, the high altitude plays a significant advantage for Denver, reaching 5,280 feet above sea level, making opponents fatigued earlier as a consequence of not being accustomed to the difficult conditions.
On the court, the Nuggets have been slowly building towards winning a championship with a plan that spans back to 2015 when Michael Malone was appointed head coach.
That same year, they had a promising rookie in their ranks in the name of Nikola Jokić who is now putting up ridiculous numbers. The Serbian, standing at 211cm tall, is averaging a triple-double season with 24.9 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 10.1 assists per game.
(Photo by Justin Tafoya/Getty Images)
Jokić, the MVP for the past two seasons, has admitted that consistency is the key if they want to be serious contenders.
“Yes, probably, yes. But, you never know. I think consistency is the word … when you’re consistent, hopefully, you can make something happen,” he said.
One year after Jokić’s arrival saw the Nuggets acquire Jamal Murray, considered a lethal shooter behind the arc. His explosiveness and ability to drive to the rim consolidate him as one of the best point guards in the league when fit and healthy.
Make no mistake, the partnership between Jokić and Murray combining in the pick and roll is almost unplayable.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was brought in to open space on the floor for the likes of Jokić and Murray to have more looks at the basket, with DeAndre Jordan an experienced veteran who is reliable on both ends of the court.
One of the most talented young players with noticeable potential was discovered in Michael Porter jnr. Unfortunately, injuries have robbed him of asserting himself as the real deal, but this season he is finally living up to the hype. The small forward offers the x-factor required to win a championship, with his perimeter shooting and handles proving a nightmare for any defence.
Aaron Gordon cannot be ignored. Underrated by many, he has offered the Nuggets more versatility in both scoring points and making important defensive stops when needed.
Overall, the main point is that the Nuggets as a unit are used to playing with each other for multiple seasons and have built impressive team chemistry, evident through their ball movement and work rate.
With Durant coming in for the Suns, we still need time to see how quickly he can gel in with the rest of his teammates, just like the situation in Dallas with Irving and Luka Dončić.
Superstars and super teams are often enough to go all the way, but the Nuggets are also one of the most disciplined teams in the NBA.
Since the recent loss to the LA Lakers conceding 126 points, Malone was adamant that his team needed to vastly improve on the defensive end.
Luka Doncic. Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
He spoke about the Nuggets’ lack of “urgency to get back, effort to get back, toughness, resiliency, whatever you want to call it,” in the 18-point loss.
Since that moment, they rank fifth in the league in defensive rating, which is measured by the number of points allowed per 100 possessions.
Besides the Suns and the Mavericks, the race in the west is still wide open.
Memphis and Sacramento are both playing lights-out basketball, especially on the offensive end. The biggest concern has to be defensively where they both concede easy points and are not mature enough yet.
Flying under the radar are the Clippers and the Warriors. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George for the Clippers and Steph Curry and Klay Thompson for Golden State respectively, these are four incredible stars who are proven winners and are capable of coming through in the clutch.
Denver is one of 12 teams who have never won an NBA championship. Will that unwanted reality finally come to an end?
Never say never, but the western conference is still theirs to lose.
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