There’s all the time a whole lot of stress on good and excellent groups within the NBA to win all of it, however as soon as such a group does win all of it, that stress intensifies.
Abruptly, folks anticipate that group to win one other ring, and on the identical time, the remainder of the league is gunning for that squad.
As well as, the league’s wage cap makes it next-to-impossible for squads to maintain collectively a complete championship core for greater than a brief period of time.
Brian Windhorst mentioned on ESPN that for the Denver Nuggets, who received the world title simply 15 months in the past, the “pressure has now arrived” for a number of causes, per ClutchPoints.
“[The Nuggets] are going to be a very expensive team… They’ve run out of time with cheaper contracts… The pressure has now arrived.”
Brian Windhorst on if the Nuggets’ championship window has closed 👀
(by way of @ESPNNBA)pic.twitter.com/xT9aCBFiz7
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 19, 2024
When the Nuggets claimed the Larry O’Brien Trophy in June 2023, many individuals thought they might win not less than yet one more ring and presumably even change into a dynasty.
Whereas they earned the second seed within the Western Convention this previous season, they fell flat on their faces within the second spherical of the playoffs and misplaced in seven video games to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
As Windhorst identified, they determined to not spend cash to maintain beginning capturing guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and he left this summer time in free company.
It appears to be like like Denver has prioritized Jamal Murray and presumably ahead Aaron Gordon, however even with out Caldwell-Pope, their roster is about to change into very costly.
They need to nonetheless be an excellent group this season, however with out one in all their key contributors to their championship group, to not point out an absence of bench depth, they could take a step again.
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