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The Denver Nuggets started the 2020-21 NBA season with the same intensity they displayed while completing their 2019-20 campaign. Although they fell to the LA Lakers in the 2020 NBA playoffs, it was an impeccable run.
The Denver Nuggets finished third in the 2020-21 NBA Western Conference standings. Their third-placed finish was mainly due to the heroics of Nikola Jokic. The Serbian was able to carry the team despite losing Jamal Murray to injury late in the season.
Although a lot was expected from the regular season MVP, he failed to help his team to a deeper run in the NBA playoffs. The Denver Nuggets fell to the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Semi-finals.
With the 2021 offseason fast approaching, the Nuggets will be looking to change a few things to strengthen their roster. They have impeccable talent in their ranks, but a few changes are needed if the team are to contend for the NBA championship.
On that note, let's take a look at five things that went wrong for the Denver Nuggets in the 2020-21 NBA season.
#1 The dreadful end to their 2021 NBA playoffs run
The Denver Nuggets' end to the 2021 NBA playoffs was difficult to watch. It was an overall abysmal display as they were blown away by the Phoenix Suns.
Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets overcame the Portland Trail Blazers in the previous round, but faced an insurmountable opposition in the Suns. Their experience in defeating the Trail Blazers, a backcourt-dominated team, was not relevant against the Suns' backcourt duo of Chris Paul and Devin Booker, resulting in a sweep.
Nikola Jokic, who was lauded for being the first second-round pick to win the MVP title and was also the first MVP in franchise history, was ejected in Game 4. His swipe at Cameron Payne was deemed unnecessary contact and the call was a flagrant 2 foul.
The regular season MVP hung his head as he walked off the court, leaving his teammates to climb out of a 0-3 hole by themselves. Jokic's swipe could be viewed as a sign of frustration as a sweep by the Phoenix Suns was imminent.
#2 Losing Jamal Murray to injury dealt a significant blow to the Denver Nuggets
Jamal Murray had a breakout performance in the 2020 NBA playoffs, leading the Denver Nuggets to an unexpectedly deep run in the Orlando bubble. Although they fell to the LA Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, the youngster showed just how good he is.
Murray continued to replicate that impressive form in the 2020-21 NBA season as his partnership with Nikola Jokic was largely productive. However, the guard tore his left ACL on April 12, 2021 in a game against the Golden State Warriors.
The injury resulted in Murray missing the last 24 games of the season and he was also unavailable to help the Denver Nuggets in the NBA playoffs. His absence was greatly felt as the pressure was evidently too much for Jokic.
#3 The Denver Nuggets lacked depth in the center position
Nikola Jokic has been the star of the show for the Denver Nuggets in the center position. Before JaVale McGee's introduction in January, the Nuggets did not have an elite replacement for Jokic.
Durability is one of Jokic's strongest features, which is why the center was able to feature in all 72 regular-season games for the Denver Nuggets, as well as all games in the postseason. Although his workload doubled due to the absence of Murray, he managed to stay productive consistently.
While the Denver Nuggets lacked an elite rotation player at the five, it was also a problem in other positions. Aside from Monte Morris, who put in a good shift for the Nuggets all season long, not much production came from the Denver Nuggets bench.
#4 The Denver Nuggets' defense was average
The Denver Nuggets were not one of the worst defensive teams of the 2020-21 NBA season. However, they were not ranked among the best either.
Although their offense was one of the most lethal in the league, the defense was not as impressive. The Denver Nuggets finished the 2020-21 regular season ranked 12th in defensive rating (112.1).
Surprisingly, Nikola Jokic had the worst defensive rating for the Denver Nuggets, with a 109.3 rating. Morris, who is a bench player, has the best defensive rating (115.3), followed closely by Will Barton. Though the ratings don't make for great reading, they managed to limit opposition scoring to 110.1 points per game.
#5 The Denver Nuggets fans were unhappy with the owner
The Denver Nuggets did not enjoy the thrill of home-court advantage in the 2021 NBA playoffs. Several fans were upset with how the owner managed things during the 2020-21 season. Nuggets president Josh Kroenke was booed before tip-off in Game 3 when he took to the court to present Nikola Jokic with his MVP award.
Although several factors could have led to that incident, the most likely reason is the local television situation. Fans were unable to watch Game 3 of the Denver Nuggets' first-round tie on regional sports networks due to an ongoing dispute between Altitude and Comcast. Both parties have failed to resolve their issues since 2019, which has resulted in occasional blackouts during the season.
The franchise also sold more tickets to Phoenix Suns fans in Game 4 as Nuggets fans barely showed up. Chris Paul stated in his postgame interview that it felt like a home game when they stepped out for warmups.
With fans unavailable to cheer their team to at least one victory in the conference semi-finals, the Phoenix Suns unleased the broom against the Denver Nuggets.
Guess the Lakers players!
