It’s sure been a while since the Denver Nuggets made a run in the playoffs. Actually, it’s been a long while since the team made the playoffs at all. 9 years to be exact, and the last time they went in 2009, the team (which featured players like Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson, and J.R. Smith) made the Western Conference Finals. Well, according to newly acquired Isaiah Thomas, that playoff drought is over because he promises that the team will make the postseason. According to the team’s official Twitter, Thomas said the following:
“It’s a long season of 82 games – plus the playoffs, which we will be making this year.”
The Nuggets were actually incredibly close to making the postseason last year. How close? Well, they played the Minnesota Timberwolves on the final night of the regular season and the winner of that game would advance to the playoffs while the loser would walk home and patiently wait for next season to bounce back. The winner was Minnesota, who sent Denver packing their bags.
But the Nuggets have only gotten better this offseason. First, they signed star center Nikola Jokic to a 5-year, $148 million max contract. The Joker (as many call Jokic) is coming off his best season in the NBA. He averaged career-highs in PPG (18.5), RPG (10.7), APG (6.1), SPG (1.2), BPG (.8), free-throw percentage (85.0%), 3-point percentage (39.6%), and minutes per game (32.6). He’s made quite a name for himself with his flashy and gutsy passes and ability to make plays for other teammates as a center. The team then resigned guard Will Barton to a multiyear deal as well. He too is coming off of his best season of his career, averaging career-highs in PPG (15.7), APG (4.1), BPG (.6), field goal percentage (45.2%), and 3-point percentage (37.0%). They then drafted Michael Porter Jr. from the University of Missouri with the 14th pick in the draft. Although he is expected to miss a significant portion of the season while recovering from back surgery, his impact will be felt almost immediately. He is another “point forward” like LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo who is able to score the basketball at ease and create opportunities for teammates.
As for Isaiah, his previous season was rough to say the least. He was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers during the previous offseason in the Kyrie Irving trade that sent Irving to Boston. His impact on the Cavs was not what the team was hoping for, so they shipped him to the Los Angeles Lakers right before the trade deadline for Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. He played backup point guard for the Lakers, appearing in just 17 games for them. And when Thomas became a free agent this past summer, the team decided not to renew the contract, which allowed Denver to sign the veteran to a 1-year deal. Since his contract is pretty cheap (just over $2.2 million), this is a low-risk, high-reward signing for the Nuggets. And Thomas seems confident in his game, as he said this to Nuggets.com right after signing his contract:
“First off, show the world I’m healthy. That’s probably the biggest thing. What I’ve done in this league is self-explanatory. I don’t have to prove to anybody who I am anymore. I don’t have to prove to anybody what I bring to the table. I think they know. I’m a winner.”
Hopefully, Thomas will be able to help bring this Nuggets team back to the postseason for the first time in 8 years and make due on his promise.
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