While the Boston Celtics (54–14) have been the best team of the 2023/24 regular season by a relatively wide margin, the reigning champion Denver Nuggets (48–21) remain the team to beat. Denver returns the league’s best player, Nikola Joki??, and for the most part, the same group of players around him to defend their place at the top of the NBA’s food chain.
The Nuggets have built their team to run through Joki?? as a point-center, surrounding him with a plethora of skillsets. Jamal Murray, Joki??’s primary sidekick and arguably the best 2nd option in the league, is a combo-guard that offers the most relief in terms of scoring and on-ball duties. Whether it be a high pick-and-roll with Joki?? or creating out-of-isolation opportunities that bail the Nuggets out of their rare stagnant possessions, when healthy Murray has proven to be a more-than-worthy Robin.