The Denver Nuggets Mid-Life Crisis

This is crazy…

This is crazy…

This is crazy…

– Clark Griswold

There is no fool like a mid-life crisis fool. Thankfully, I am no fool. Except…

As an ’80’s kid, I grew up with the illusion that a mid-life crisis had something vaguely to do with blondes and red convertibles. I wasn’t a huge fan of either, so I unwisely assumed that I would be immune to such ridiculous things. Boldly – and stupidly – I set forth.

Turns out a mid-life crisis has much more to do with math and inevitability kicking their way through your density. Mine was just extra thick. A few years ago, I’m on a somber flight home from the funeral of my last remaining grandparent, and happen to be reading an article about average lifespans. As I read the number and realize it’s exactly twice my age at the time, it also occurs to me that with no more grandparents, I have morbidly “leveled up” on my family tree.

And in that moment of “HALFWAY, YOU FOOL” flashing across my vision, I evaluated my life to that point, somewhat involuntarily. Strangely, I have since dyed my hair blonde and purchased a red convertible.

OK, no I didn’t, but wouldn’t that be a great way for that to end? I don’t really have enough hair left to go blonde, and I’m still not a convertible guy. Suffice it to say that in the end, I’ve ended up somewhat grateful for my forcible realization. A halfway mark can sometimes be a good wake up call for a somewhat aimless soul. There’s where I’ve been. There’s where I appear to be headed. Is that really where I want to go? Where do I want to be? Am I willing to do what I need to to get there?

This season brings up another fresh “life” for your Denver Nuggets, and last night’s victory saved from the jaws of apathy marks the midway mark of their 2019-20 season. I’m not sure how it’s possible, but their mid-life crisis seems to be going even less smoothly than the story above. The game was a microcosm of the Nuggets season, a surprisingly tumultuous affair that somehow all narrowly ended up ok. So maybe a few of the same halfway questions apply to an occasionally aimless young Nuggets squad.

Where have I been?

Well, there have been some high spots along the way in the first half, including knocking off nearly every highly-ranked foe in the league. When these Nuggets are at their best, they can knock off any team in the league. But…

There have also been losses to teams that should have never given this talented squad trouble, but uneven focus and effort at both end of the floor have been especially prevalent against sub-500 squads this year. These head-scratching performances have often come on national television, dropping Denver even further on the national radar.

Where am I headed?

If set on their current course, Denver probably ends up with a first round bye in the postseason, maybe even a second-round bye, given their current seat in second place. Whether their missteps have driven you crazy or not, their 29-12 record equals their best since they’ve been in the NBA, and doubling that record would give them a 58-win season, which would be an NBA-best for the franchise as well.

Has this squad set themselves on their stated target of a championship? They have a puncher’s chance, but are currently a step or two behind a few of the league’s elite.

Is that where I really want to go? Where do I want to be?

There could be a fair argument made that a Western Conference Finals appearance would be an enticing step forward for this team, and I could battle both sides. This team appears to be so close to fully gelling as to be a powerhouse for the next few years, and falling one step shy of your stated goal would still leave a rabid fanbase ready for more.

And yet, if these Nuggets are actually pushing for the ultimate prize to cap off this season, they’ll need to better control the aspects that are within their control. Effort and interest can only be self-driven outcomes, and the best path to a ring for this Denver squad is to bear down, do the difficult thing, and be more consistent making the effort that seeds their excellent moments. That will absolutely mean going through some painful growing moments to reach ultimate goals.

Am I willing to do what I need to to get there?

Sorry, Nuggets Nation… I’m still too busy answering this question from my own mid-life crisis to tell you whether or not this will be a “yes” for your favorite basketball team. But in the dog days of the 2020 half of this season, the jury is still very much out as to the outcome. If we can still be asking ourselves this question in June, we’ll finally have the answer we’ve all been waiting for.