FILE – Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic during an NBA preseason game between Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Dokoupil)
Denver Nuggets
Last season: 57-25, lost to Minnesota in the second round of the playoffs.
TRAINER: Michael Malone (10th season with Nuggets, 12th overall, 507-398).
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SEASON OPENING: Oct. 24 vs. Oklahoma City.
DEPARTURES: G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, G Justin Holliday, G Reggie Jackson.
ADDITIONS: PG Russell Westbrook, PF-C Dario Saric.
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BetMGM Championship Betting Odds: 10-1.
What to expect
Nuggets head coach Michael Malone believes the championship window remains wide open despite their historic Game 7 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round of last year's playoffs, which gave the NBA a new champion for the sixth consecutive season .
NBA: Russell Westbrook agrees to two-year contract with Nuggets
The Nuggets lost starter Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as a free agent and, at the urging of superstar Nikola Jokic, signed veteran PG Russell Westbrook, who even wants to add some spice to the Nuggets in a backup role.
Strengths and weaknesses
The Good: The Nuggets have the best big man in the game in three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, and they have the best two-man game in the league when it's Jamal Murray's turn. They may have lost KCP, but their four returning starters, including Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr., are a serviceable foursome. Christian Braun will be the first attempt to replace Caldwell-Pope in the starting lineup.
READ: Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic ready to lead the Nuggets' new mission
What's not so good: The Nuggets don't exactly shoot the ball from 3-point range, and in Westbrook they brought a player onto the team who isn't afraid to shoot from distance, but can have lapses at times . The Nuggets were excited to sign Daron Holmes II from Dayton as a power forward/center who could use a few minutes from Jokic and Gordon to keep them fresh. He hit his first three 3-pointers and had a spectacular Summer League debut until he limped off the court in the fourth quarter with a torn right ACL, which required surgery and forced him to miss the 2024-25 season to miss.
Players to watch
As veterans Westbrook and Saric begin to adjust, young players hope to take on bigger roles this year, including Gs Julian Strawther, Peyton Watson and Jalen Picett, and freshman F Spencer Jones.
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All eyes will also be on Murray, who had another injury-plagued season in 2023-24, hitting two buzzer-beaters against Los Angeles in the first round of the playoffs before throwing a heat against the Wolves in a series. collapsed Pack your backpack and a towel with an officer. He played no role for the Canadian Olympic team in Paris this summer, but returned to Denver and signed a four-year contract extension worth $208 million in September.