Renck: There was hope this spring would change the narrative surrounding the Nuggets and Avs, but not like this. After both were bounced from the playoffs with a thud — the Nuggets in the semifinals, the Avs in the first round — an old question moved back to the front of our minds: Are these franchises wasting the prime years of former MVPs Nikola Jokic and Nathan MacKinnon? The Nuggets were not expected to go on a run after the seismic shakeup of their coaching staff and front office, but the Avs were. So, the pangs of disappointment are real. And an uncomfortable query hangs in the air like an anvil: Who will win another championship first, Jokic or MacKinnon?
Keeler: Oh, it’s the Joker. But it’s not in Denver. Unless the Nuggets undergo a serious revamp around him — as we’ve both suggested they do — over the next 4-12 months, the NBA’s best passing big man since Bill Walton is most likely destined to land his second ring in Walton-like fashion. And that’s as an older, “role” big, many, many years from now, on one of the NBA’s marquee franchises. I’d sooner pluck out my left eye than see Jokic as a 37-year-old in Celtics green or Lakers purple. But with the way the Nuggets are constructed, and with the way the NBA loves to tilt the continent to get its stars moved to either coast, I can’t rule it out. Dude, I want to. But I just can’t.
Renck: The Nuggets showed the resilience and chemistry of a champion, but not the talent. The Thunder is better. So is Minnesota. Still, Jokic feels closer to another crown than MacKinnon. Though it’s easy to squint and see neither winning another championship in Denver. The first priority is to sign Jokic after the NBA Finals to a three-year extension that puts him in Denver through the 2029-30 season. Next is the hard part: How do you reshape a team with a top-heavy payroll, no draft picks and few tradeable assets? It starts with moving Michael Porter Jr. The Nuggets need to improve defensively on the perimeter and give Jokic a legitimate backup. Christian Braun can reasonably address the first issue, while last year’s top pick DaRon Holmes II must become a surprising defender and 3-point shooter.
Keeler: The Kroenkes, Tim Connelly and Calvin Booth shared paint brushes and pinned the Nuggets into a corner with the contracts they doled out. Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. have to be stars, because now they’re paid like them. Zeke Nnaji has to be a viable seventh or sixth option for the same reason. And thanks to health, or in spite of it, none of that’s happening. When a GM says “Well, (this guy) just needs to play better, and we’ll be fine,” that’s code for a front office that knows it screwed up — and knows the only way out is to either shame or motivate said player out loud.
Renck: It has become hard to trust the Avs when it matters most. No team has shown a willingness to make more moves, but they fizzle in the playoffs. MacKinnon was left on an island in the playoffs as Cale Makar failed to produce. Maybe the dim view comes from coach Jared Bednar’s inability to ever beat Dallas’ Peter Deboer. And will Bednar even be the coach next postseason if the Avs get off to a slow start? As such. Jokic boasts a better chance of putting on another ring in the next two years, then the advantage swings to MacKinnon.
Keeler: The Avs have tried. Really, really, really tried. But it’s starting to feel as if MacKinnon’s “dynasty” window in Denver snapped shut two years ago. That it sailed away from a port in Seattle. And I’m starting to fear the hockey gods are about to deliver us a Stars-Hurricanes Stanley Cup Final. Hide the sharp objects.
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Originally Published: May 19, 2025 at 11:47 AM MDT
