“The straight-eight engine is a testament to smooth power, offering a level of refinement that is considered the pinnacle of automotive engineering. With its inherent balance and quiet operation, the straight-eight makes the Studebaker President today’s luxury automobile.”
– Studebaker President ad copy, 96 years ago
While not a lot of folks were affording luxury autos by the end of the roaring ’20s, the automotive worlds decades-long romance with the straight-eight engine configuration first truly caught hold in the 1920’s. It was the symbol of power and excellence in an era when automakers realized the engine that had been powering WWI warplanes had a far more revenue-driven purpose – and a much more aesthetic appeal – in a car. For a long time, having a straight-eight meant that your ride was probably something special.
Today’s symbol of power and excellence in the NBA is not a straight-eight, but rather eight straight, the longest active winning streak in the league, and one just so happening to belong to your Denver Nuggets. They’ll hold onto that streak another week-plus as they sail into the All-Star break not having lost in two weeks. And while another eight straight wins seems an over-tall order when re-engaging a rugged upcoming schedule, these Nuggets are starting to look like a team that can contend.
When Denver won their first championship two seasons back, they did so with eight primary players in their playoff rotation. A starting five of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter, Jr., and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope bore the lion’s share of Denver’s minutes, with Christian Braun, Bruce Brown, and Jeff Green spelling most of the rest of the floor time. While players like DeAndre Jordan, Peyton Watson, and Reggie Jackson saw spot duty, those first eight carried most of the water in the Nuggets dominant 16-4 Championship run.
Eight or nine core guys is a pretty common number for teams making these types of deep playoff runs, and the Nuggets players that could make up that key eight (or nine) all seem to be hitting on all cylinders at what seems a very opportune time.
MVP Nikola Jokic is throwing down one of the more astounding and complete seasons by a player in NBA history. The one-and-only force multiplier in the NBA has taken his game to new heights, and with Joker, the Nuggets always have a fighting chance at a ring.
Recently-doubted sidekick Jamal Murray has recently-undoubted the better portion of Nuggets Nation with some torrid play over the last month-plus, including a career-high double-nickel Wednesday night. Beyond his usual resurgent play, his off-court attitude has shown a new maturity and accountability.
Usual starter Michael Porter, Jr. has been sitting a few games to manage an injury, but was positively torrid leading up to that, having had three 10-point games in a row. Mike has been the most-solid part of the Nuggets season, after Jokic.
Mr. Nugget Aaron Gordon return cautiously from a nagging injury, but has started to look more explosive of late. His minutes have increased, and he’s been fitting in seamlessly on his return.
Now-starter Christian Braun has not only filled in the gap left by KCP’s departure, but has been enough a revelation to start to see some Most-Improved Player conversation, even outside of Nuggets media loyalists. Braun’s stats compare favorably to KCP’s last two years in Denver, a huge key to the teams success this season.
While Brown, Green, or Jackson won’t be around to help with those in-between minutes this postseason, Denver looks to have maybe-mightier capabilities to shore up those minutes.
All-timer Russell Westbrook has been nothing short of a revelation, having reinvigorated his career in Denver while filling time as both starter and sixth man. Russ’ engine is always in high gear, and the team has been fully supercharged by his presence.
Third-year blocking machine Watson has also been a wonder this season, now also healing from a similar injury to Westbrook. Russ is slated to be back post-break, hopefully not missing a beat, with PWat hopefully not far behind. Peyton has shown himself to be an all-league defender when focused and playing within himself, and is dangerous enough from beyond the arc to not be ignored.
Guard Julian Strawther has shone in his second season, to a point he was recently named a replacement for this years’ Rising Stars game over All-Star weekend. His pull-up shot has been lethal since he stepped onto the floor last year, but his improved defensive play has recently earned the trust of coach Michael Malone to the tune of three effective starts when pressed into duty.
Those three all have the potential to be even more lethal than Brown, Braun, and Green were two years back. If any of them stumble, the Nuggets have shown even greater depth of late, with unexpectedly mature and stable play from Zeke Nnaji and Jalen Pickett. Hell, even DJ plays a smarter game from the five than he did in his first season in Denver. Sometimes, the world’s greatest t-shirt is truly true:
With 27 games before the playoffs begin, Denver has the second-toughest road to traverse as they motor through the remainder of the regular season. If they can keep refining what they’re up to, tuning up the offensive engine, and clamping down those defensive brakes, this ride is starting to look eerily reminiscent of a drive we took a couple years ago. If Denver has the mettle to put their pedal to the metal, they may not have to settle for anything less than the whole damned kettle.
Eight straight makes the Nuggets 36-19 after 55 games. That figure is amazing enough, given all they’ve already overcome this season. How they steer through the next 50 games (or less) will tell the story of just how bumpy this ride got when it mattered the most.
