Three players who will make or break Denver Nuggets' season | NBA Insider

Denver Gazette beat writer Vinny Benedetto takes you around the NBA and inside the Nuggets:

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Players will be returning to Denver in the next week ahead of a short training camp before the team’s trip to Abu Dhabi in early October signals the unofficial start of the season.

Here are three players who will make or break the Nuggets’ bid for a second title in the last three seasons.

Jamal Murray

There is arguably no player who’s more important for his team’s outlook than Denver’s starting point guard.

If the Nuggets get Bubble Murray or Champ Murray, there’s reason to believe Denver has as good a shot as any team to host another parade next summer. If injuries continue to be an issue and inconsistency becomes the norm, it’s going to be nearly impossible to maximize the remainder of Nikola Jokic’s prime given Murray’s recent contract extension. Murray’s been the perfect complement to the three-time Most Valuable Player when healthy.

The pressure is squarely on Murray to start the season. Fortunately for the Nuggets Murray has a way of rising to the moment more often than not.

Russell Westbrook

Even if Murray’s at his best, the Nuggets are going to need a solid option off the bench.

That’s been almost as big of an issue as back-up center the last few seasons. Denver doesn’t have the luxury of sliding another starter to the one-guard postion when Murray sits like it can use Aaron Gordon in the non-Jokic minutes, especially in the playoffs.

That means Westbrook is going to get a lot of meaningful minutes in the regular season and beyond. The good version of Westbrook can bring some of the same things Bruce Brown brought to the championship rotation – a downhill attacker who can finish at the rim or kick out to open shooters, a capable rebounder and someone who can get to the line.

If the Nuggets get a less effective version of Westbrook, who turns 36 in November, there’s no other established option. Jalen Pickett, who struggled at Summer League after hardly playing as a rookie, is the only other point guard on a full-time contract.

Peyton Watson

The 22-year-old flashed legitimate star potential in his first two NBA seasons.

The defensive chops give Watson a safe baseline, while continued offensive growth and increased strength will be the key to the final product. If Dario Saric and Julian Strawther hit shots, Watson should have more space to explore his offensive game when playing with the rest of Denver’s second unit. Teams will continue to dare him to shoot until he improves on last season’s 29.6% mark from 3-point range.

After watching most of the second-round series against Minnesota from the bench, Watson’s going to be an every-night player in his third NBA season. He might not be a starter, but he could be a closer.

A leap from Watson makes the Nuggets a different team this season and is key to keeping the championship window open as long as possible.

What I’m Thinking

It’s already been a banner year for the WNBA between Caitlin Clark’s arrival and A’ja Wilson becoming the first player to score 1,000 points in a season, and it’s only going to get better in the postseason.

Colorado will continue to be represented on at least two of the teams when the playoffs begin next week.

Former Buffaloes star Jaylyn Sherrod joined the New York Liberty in the middle of the season. If they win one of their final two games, Sherrod and the Liberty will start the playoffs as the No. 1 seed. Sherrod hasn’t played much in her rookie season behind star point guard Sabrina Ionescu, a former conference foe, but she did score a season-high five points in her last outing.

The Las Vegas Aces, coached by Colorado State legend Becky Hammon, look like New York’s biggest competition. Hammon has coached the Aces to back-to-back titles, and Las Vegas has clinched one of the eight playoff spots with a couple of games to go. As long as Wilson stays healthy, the Aces have more than enough talent to threepeat.

Aurora native Michaela Onyenwere will look to be the third player with Colorado ties in the WNBA postseason. Onyenwere and the Chicago Sky are one of three teams with a 13-25 record battling for the final playoff spot. The Grandview High School and UCLA product has started 15 of 31 games in her fourth WNBA season, averaging 6.3 points per game. The Sky have a tough road ahead without Angel Reese, though that could mean more playoffs minutes for Onyenwere.

Here's hoping Colorado has another champion to celebrate come October.

What They’re Saying

Zach Lowe had Bobby Marks on the “The Lowe Post” podcast to discuss Jamal Murray’s extension among other things. Marks, a front-office insider for ESPN, wasn’t surprised by the details of the four-year deal worth more than $208 million.

“The reality is that they almost had to, certainly with the Jokic window open,” Marks said of Murray’s extension. “They’ve got some bigger decisions coming up with Aaron Gordon, who is extension eligible at the end of September.”

Marks estimated Gordon would make roughly $30 million per year on a new deal. If it doesn’t come together as Denver’s front office navigates a complex financial future, the versatile forward could have plenty of attractive options.

“How free agency is going right now, we’ve seen so many guys coming off the board with extensions,” Marks said.

“Aaron Gordon, at the end of the day, him and Myles Turner could be the two-best free agents when we get into next summer.”

What I’m Reading

Julia Poe, the Bulls beat writer for the Chicago Tribune, tackled five questions facing the team headed into training camp. The first of which ponders whether former Nuggets executive Arturas Karnisovas’ job is in jeopardy. Poe writes: “It seems natural that this friendly tenor will have to change. The Bulls have missed the playoffs for two straight years. Their most valuable player just walked in free agency. And now they’re saddled with a few cumbersome veteran contracts and a rudderless young core.”

What I’m Following

- Michael Porter Jr. and Peyton Watson were gifted custom jerseys at the Broncos game Sunday. Porter was already wearing an orange Peyton Manning jersey.

- Aaron Gordon and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope reunited at Kyle Kuzma’s foundation’s golf tournament. The former teammates posed for a picture that was shared on Instagram.

- It took a little longer than it probably needed to, but the Cavaliers and restricted free agent Isaac Okoro agreed to a three-year contract worth $38 million. That’s a solid deal for Cleveland to retain an underrated perimeter defender.

- Russell Westbrook put on his poker face for his Why Not Foundation poker tournament. He and Chris Paul were part of the final table in Las Vegas.