After making a run to the Western Conference Finals last season, the Denver Nuggets started their 2020-21 NBA season very sluggish and did not look like the same team from a year ago. Currently, they are 12-11 and have shown flashes of being a legit team in the Western Conference, but at other times, they look like a viable 8-seed.
Losing Jerami Grant in the offseason has really hurt this team and while Michael Porter Jr. was expected to take on a much bigger and significant role this season, he missed nearly a month due to health and safety protocols relating to COVID-19. Not to mention, after having some massive, breakout performances in the NBA Bubble last summer, Jamal Murray has not looked like the same player.
His overall production is way down this year and he does not have that sense of urgency to him that he showed last year in Orlando. When he wants to, Jamal Murray can take over a game and he has proven that, but this year, he is not playing with that same fire and passion to be better than everyone else.
Nikola Jokic is very much in the NBA MVP conversation this year and is a clear front-runner for the award being the triple-double machine that he is, but if this team is going to make it back to the Western Conference Finals and possibly even make the NBA Finals, then they are going to need to figure out their problems quickly.
They do have seven players averaging in double-figure scoring so far this year and as a result, the Nuggets currently rank 3rd in the NBA in scoring. Things are starting to click for this team on the offensive-end of the court, which is why they should do everything they can to add more scoring talent to their roster.
With there still being a hole on the wing from the departure of Jerami Grant and with Denver liking to play around with athletic, versatile talents, Aaron Gordon could be a perfect fit in head coach Mike Malone’s system. The former 4th overall pick in 2014 has not been the star the Magic had hoped he would be and with their struggles this year, they could look to trade Gordon in order to add more future assets.
Could Aaron Gordon be a player the Denver Nuggets look to target at the NBA trade deadline? Here are three reasons why they should go all-out in their pursuit of the young combo-forward.
