The "woe is us, we're so disrespected" tour for the Nuggets has already started and the Nuggets haven't played a game yet. ESPN posted a picture of Giannis and captioned it "The Reigning MVP" and Michael Wilbon referred to the actual reigning MVP as Djokovic. Can we get Chris Broussard to tell us that Nuggets' chances are slim because Kawhi Leonard is out of the lineup? These actions show that no one at the national level thinks the Nuggets are legitimate contenders. I agree. The team looked overmatched at times without Murray last year and has looked awful in the preseason this year. Jokic will be great again but the team will suffer. Outside of its MVP center, the Nuggets have a talented but mismatched roster. It desperately needs a veteran floor general who can lead and set the defensive tone. Looking for someone to step up and fill Murray's shoes? You'd better hire a good PI because that player ain't on the roster. MPJ? Please. He is a class A knucklehead who is more interested in podcasting and chasing conspiracy theories than chasing a ring. Aaron Gordon? Aaron "the enigma" has the talent but has yet to put it together in several NBA seasons. Will Barton? A nice player who doesn't fit the style of play the Nuggets want to play. Bones Hyland? An intriguing prospect but too young and too frail to make a real impact this year. The answer of course is Jamal Murray himself, but players coming back from ACLs usually struggle the first couple of months upon their return to the lineup. This all adds up to the Nuggets being in the play-in game trying to sneak into the playoffs at the end of the year. Make my vote that the Nuggets lose that game. Wake me up when the Nuggets acquire an actual second all-star to pair with Jokic. Until then, the Nuggets will continue to be frauds on the national scene.