NBA Season Preview: The Nets and the Lakers Are the Wild Cards

October 17, 2022
Sport

Key Additions: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, DeAndre Jordan, Bruce Brown, Ish Smith

Key Departures: Monte Morris, Will Barton, JaMychal Green, Austin Rivers

Nikola Jokic, after receiving a giant contract extension this summer, will pursue his third straight Most Valuable Player Award, something that hasn’t been accomplished since Larry Bird did it in the 1980s. The expected returns of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., who were injured last season, should help take the playmaking load off Jokic.

The Nuggets added Kentavious Caldwell-Pope by trading two key rotation players, Monte Morris and Will Barton. It was a bit of a lateral move, but Caldwell-Pope will help Denver’s spacing because of his shooting, and Jokic’s ability to find open players will help his game.

Denver should be in contention for a top seed, even in the loaded Western Conference. One note of caution: Down the stretch last season, Jokic showed signs of tiring. You wonder if the Nuggets will have to get a better backup center than DeAndre Jordan to save Jokic’s energy. — Sopan Deb