The Denver Nuggets are on fire and teams in the Western Conference should be worried.
Two weeks ago, one of the best trades of the season happened as the title contending Nuggets acquired explosive forward Aaron Gordon via trade from the Orlando Magic.
At first, this acquisition was somehow odd to some as they didn’t know how Gordon would fit into the Denver Nuggets system and how he would play with Nikola Jokić.
But once two had their first game against the Atlanta Hawks, it was evident that they had the potential to be special together.
Gordon’s athleticism and smart decision making when making cuts to the rim takes full advantage of Jokić’s excellent passing ability, and the two looked like a well-oiled machine on the court.
Gordon finished his debut with 13 points while Jokić had 16 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
The two are looking great together, forming a deadly 1-2 combo underneath.
Gordon’s best game wearing the blue and gold jersey came four days ago, against his former team Orlando Magic. Gordon finished with a team-high 24 points along with seven rebounds while Jokić put up 17 points, nine rebounds and 16 assists to complete the 18-point comeback and grab the 119-109 win.
Since Gordon joined the team, Nuggets have won six-straight games, including wins over the LA Clippers and the Philadelphia 76ers.
As a whole, the Denver Nuggets is currently in a seven-game winning streak and is now sitting as the fourth seed in the West with a 33-18 record, one win behind from the current third-seed Clippers that has a 34-18 record.
Gordon has been impressive in his first few games with the Nuggets, averaging 12.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.7 RPG and shooting 60.8% from the field.
Jokić’s assists numbers have benefited big time as well with the addition of Gordon.
| Jokic’s stats | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Field Goal |
| Pre-Gordon | 27.0 PPG | 11.3 RPG | 8.3 APG | 58.5% |
| Post-Gordon | 20.0 PPG | 8.8 RPG | 9.5 APG | 57.5% |
With these two, along with Jamal Murray (who is averaging 21.3 PPG and 4.8 PPG), Michael Porter Jr and the role players of the team, the Nuggets are among the most dangerous team in the league heading into the Playoffs.
The Nuggets have the best team chemistry in the league. Despite having only one legitimate star compared to the other title contenders like the Lakers, Clippers, Jazz, Nets and 76ers.
They are a real threat to those “super teams” that are favored to win the title because of their stacked roster.
There is no doubt that teams don’t want to meet this team in the first or second round, as they now have a bigger chance to make it to the Finals compared to their last few seasons. That’s a scary prospect considering they made the Western Conference Finals last year.
What do you think about the Denver Nuggets? Do you think they can make a big run again in the Playoffs? Sound off in the comment section!
