Dear Denver, it's time to take the Nuggets seriously

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Dear Denver,

I’m not a Nuggets fan.

I think it’s important to get that out in the open first and foremost. I’m a journalist who covers the team objectively on a day in and day out basis. Nowadays, those lines tend to get blurred.

Sure I want them to be successful. I root for hard-working, dedicated professionals in my daily life, much like the ones inside the walls of Pepsi Center who put their blood sweat and tears into every single win, to have success in life. I’m constantly around coaches, players and front office personnel who put in more hours than their job description requires and sacrifice time with their families and loved ones to put a winning product on the floor. They deserve success in my mind but under that line of thinking, so do most franchises throughout the league.

It will take a couple years and a lot of wins for the Nuggets to gain national notoriety, that’s fine. But when I see media within the city of Denver who I respect and have a voice that people listen to pledge not take the Nuggets seriously until they’re over. 500, or fans who won’t give Denver the time of day until they’re in the playoffs, it baffles me.

Thunder fans and Oklahoma City media who didn’t take their team seriously when Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were second and first-year players respectively in 2009 and could only muster up 23 wins regretted it later on. So did those around the Golden State Warriors who didn’t give that team the time of day when Stephen Curry fought through one ankle injury after another over his first three years in the league until finally getting the Warriors across the 40-win mark in his fourth season.

I’m not asking Denverites to spend their hard earned money on tickets to a Nuggets game, it’s not my place to do so. But what I am asking is to give them the time of day and talk about them seriously when given the chance.

Denver has a young, blossoming star by the name of Nikola Jokic. He’s 21-years-old, Serbian, and a free spirit with one of the most endearing and goofiest personalities on the team. He’s also ranked 16th in the league in ESPN.com’s Real Plus-Minus (RPM), an all-inclusive rating which estimates a player’s on-court impact on team performance, measured in point differential on offense and defense. He’s 13th in Player Efficiency Rating (PER) another respected all-inclusive stat and 20th in Value Over Replacement Player (VORP). Jokic is a must-watch on a nightly basis.

Jokic is the best passing big man in the game and a rare playmaking center who acts like a point guard for Denver and is regarding across the league as one of the NBA’s best young big men. The Nuggets also have Jamal Murray, the No. 7 overall pick in this last draft who’s shown flashes of brilliance this year, Emmanuel Mudiay, who’s played the best basketball of his short career over Denver’s current three-game winning streak, and players like Kenneth Faried, Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari, and Gary Harris, all valued role players who are fun to watch and contribute to the common good of the Nuggets.

Denver has a 115.5 Offensive Rating (points scored per 100 possessions) since they inserted Jokic at the center spot on Dec. 15, 15 games ago. That translates to the second-best mark in the league since then and a much more efficient and explosive offense than any George Karl-led Nuggets team. Denver is also playing at the league’s fourth-fastest pace, more possessions per game than Karl ever achieved in Denver and are well worth the price of admission or two hours of time on your television, whichever way you want to take them in.

Denver currently occupies the eighth seed in the Western Conference and are the benefactors of a final playoff spot that will likely come in below .500 this year. Sure the Warriors await, but there’s no telling how valuable a playoff series and playoff race down the stretch of the season could be for this young group of players.

The Nuggets still have a ways to go. Denver has to start playing defense and General Manager Tim Connelly has a couple of tough decisions to make this summer, but right now they’re winning and worth your attention.

I’m not asking you to shell out money to see them at Pepsi Center, I’m not asking you to buy a Jokic jersey and wear it around the city. I’m simply hoping that those with a voice will start taking them seriously. The wins will come with time, I’m confident of that, and next year or even a couple years from now, you’ll be happy you started paying attention to this team when you did.