In the wake of a trip to the conference finals, the Nuggets management should not be content to rest on its laurels and assume that growth and maturity alone will propel this team to a championship. The bubble created a perfect storm for a young team that had grown up together to obtain success. Next year when fans are in the stands, the chances that the Nuggets will be able to overcome two 3-1 deficits are nil. This is still the same team that routinely got beat by bad teams and often blew big leads within games. As it stands now, the team has some very talented players but has some glaring flaws that will prevent it from obtaining the ultimate prize in the coming years. Here are a few suggestions for this upcoming offseason to turn this team into a true title contender.
Point guard: Let's face the truth right at the outset. Jamal Murray is not a point guard. To be his most effective, Murray needs to be off the ball. While at times Murray can be an effective ball distributor, he also stagnates the Nuggets offense at others and fails to make even the most basic of passes (anyone listening to Scott Hastings analyze playoff games on the radio is aware of his frustration at Murray's inability to feed the post). Murray also allows far too much penetration on the defensive end that puts the team in scramble mode. Priority number one this off-season should be to acquire a true starting point guard. There are two names that should be at the top of the list: Jrue Holliday and Fred Van Vleet. Both are outstanding defenders but also effective scorers. Van Vleet is the better 3-point shooter while Holliday has a better all-around game. Holliday will have to be acquired through trade. It will likely cost Gary Harris, Will Barton, and a draft pick to pry him away from New Orleans. Van Vleet is a free agent and the Nuggets would have to hope he tests the open market rather than returning to Toronto.
Three point shooting: The Nuggets are not a good three-point shooting team. They need to get better to prevent teams from packing the lane against them. Joe Harris and Davis Bertans are two free agents that could pay huge dividends as a three-point threat off the bench or as a spot starter. I know the Nuggets are up against the cap with Murray's contract ballooning but neither of these players would break the bank, either. A third option is Danilo Gallinari. Galo would provide instant offense off the bench and likes playing in Denver.
A third star: This is where the Nuggets need to think long and hard about the future of Michael Porter, Jr. MPJ is an intriguing prospect with immense talent. He is also an awful defender and immature. He could be the next Kevin Durant or the next J.R. Smith, depending on how he chooses to spend his next couple of off-seasons. If you're of the belief MPJ is the next Durant, you hold serve and wait for him to develop. If you're of the belief that he has more knucklehead in him than you'd like (his Tweets certainly provide evidence of this), then trading him while the iron is hot is the best course of action. The Nuggets could make two bold moves by shipping MPJ: they could acquire Bradley Beal from the Wizards by dangling MPJ and Gary Harris or even make a play for Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Bucks. Beal would give the Nuggets three elite weapons and make them virtually unstoppable offensively. It would also prevent the team from acquiring a true point guard. Acquiring Giannis would be riskier. He would almost certainly guarantee a championship next season but likely be lost in free agency the following season. This would be akin to the Toronto Raptors move for Kawhi Leonard. The move worked in the short term but cost them long-term.
Tim Connelly: The Nuggets' management needs to put Connelly on the hot seat. He has done a good job at acquiring talent but not a good job in making bold moves to propel the team into a title contender. He has talked a good game in recent years but rarely followed through. Josh Kroenke needs to give Connelly a week to provide his plan for the coming year. If Connelly believes changes of the type outlined above are necessary, then he deserves more time to build a contender. On the other hand, if his plan is to largely hold serve while the team matures, he should be fired immediately.
These are the moves that must be made for the Nuggets to achieve their true potential. If they stand pat, they will become the Vlade Divac Sacramento Kings--a good team that can't get overt the hump.
