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In a battle of two early NBA MVP candidates, the Denver Nuggets will host the Golden State Warriors at Ball Arena in a nice Western Conference matchup. Despite some incredible outings from their respective superstars, Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokic, neither the Warriors nor the Nuggets have been consistent in the 2020-21 NBA season.
With Curry and Jokic being early candidates for the NBA MVP, let us create a combined starting five and see who joins the two superstars.
Golden State Warriors vs Denver Nuggets Prediction: Combined starting 5
Both squads are coming off losses against Eastern Conference teams. The Golden State Warriors took a loss at home against the Indiana Pacers on January 12th, while the Denver Nuggets blew an 18-point lead in a loss to Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets earlier that night.
The Golden State Warriors started the year with a 2-2 record on a four-game road trip against the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, and Detroit Pistons. Then, the Warriors played seven consecutive games at Chase Center, San Francisco, and went 4-3 with impressive wins over the Portland Trail Blazers and the LA Clippers.
On the other hand, the Denver Nuggets have struggled for consistency. Their start was quite bad but they have had better outings recently. They started the year with a 1-4 record and have won four of their last six games.
Denver has not had promising young talent Michael Porter Jr. in their lineup in the last seven games. Porter is averaging 19.5 points on 57/42/88 shooting splits in the four games he has played this season, but he remains out due to the NBA's Health and Safety protocol.
The game will be interesting, even though both teams will not have key players such as Eric Paschall for the Golden State Warriors and Gary Harris for Denver.
In this article, we will create a combined starting five from the players available for the upcoming game between the Golden State Warriors and the Denver Nuggets.
Without further ado, let us start.
Guard - Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)
Even though Stephen Curry is one of the top early candidates for the 2020-21 NBA MVP, his season has had some signs of inconsistency. Still, he is averaging 27.8 points, five rebounds, and six assists per game.
Also Read: What is Stephen Curry’s Net Worth?
The Warriors have a winning record even though their starting lineup has not played many games together, and Curry has been the main reason for that. Curry's shooting has not been at the usual level he has shown in recent years, as his shooting splits are 43/37/93.
Those numbers would be great for every NBA player, but Curry's shooting splits for his career is 48/43/91.
Also Read: How many rings does Stephen Curry have?
Guard - Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets)
The Denver Nuggets' offense is really guided by a 'point center,' which gives way to consider Canadian Jamal Murray as a combo guard who would be comfortable at the shooting guard position.
Murray has not been at the great level he showed during the 2020 NBA Playoffs, but he is having a good year so far for the Denver Nuggets. He is averaging 19.7 points per game (10 appearances) and his shooting splits are 48/39/76.
Small Forward - Andrew Wiggins (Golden State Warriors)
Andrew Wiggins struggled with his three-point shooting to start the season with the Golden State Warriors. However, he has been shooting the ball efficiently beyond the arc after starting 2-for-10 in the first two games.
In his last nine games, Wiggins averaged 19 points and five rebounds per game. More importantly, he has made 47 percent of his field goals and 43 percent of his 5.7 attempts from the three-point line in that span.
Overall, Wiggins has made 39 percent of his three-pointers this year (5.5 attempts per game), and it would be the highest of his career if the trend continues.
Power Forward - Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors)
Draymond Green missed the first four games of the 2020-21 NBA season due to a foot issue. However, his return to the court has seen the Golden State Warriors improve their level.
His defense and playmaking abilities have been essential in the team winning four of the seven games he has played and beating good teams like the LA Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers.
Green's impact will not jump to the eye on the stat sheet, but he is certainly a great asset for Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors.
He is averaging seven assists, five rebounds, and a steal per game in 27 minutes per night. Even though he is averaging just four points per game, Green is a reluctant shooter who is looking to facilitate on offense and lead the defense.
Center - Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)
The clear early candidate for the NBA Most Valuable Player award is Serbian center Nikola Jokic. Despite the Denver Nuggets' current losing record, Jokic's level has been impressive and deserves recognition.
The Serbian player, who is the brain of Denver's offense, is averaging a triple-double in the first weeks of the NBA season. His per-game averages are 24 points, 11 rebounds, and 10.5 assists. Moreover, Jokic averages 1.8 steals per game and is coming off a career-high of seven thefts vs. the Nets. He has made 58 percent of his field goals, 41 percent of his three-pointers, and 82 percent of his free throws.
Jokic is leading the NBA in assists, triple-doubles, player efficiency rating (PER), win shares, box plus/minus, and value over replacement. That sounds like an MVP.
