What is the Nuggets' most intriguing playoff storyline?

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What is the Nuggets’ most intriguing playoff storyline?

Harrison Wind: Can Jamal Murray rise to the occasion?

I’d have to think that for an ultra-competitor like Murray, his disappointing 4 of 18 shooting performance in the Nuggets’ Game 7 loss to the Trail Blazers last May still stings. Murray had some strong moments in his first playoff appearance last season, like when he scored 21 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter of Game 2 versus the Spurs to help captain a Nuggets come-from-behind victory that saved Denver’s season, and when he tallied a game-high 34 points to lead the Nuggets to a vital Game 4 win in Portland a round later. But like many of his teammates, Murray came up short in Game 7.

He can redeem himself in the playoffs this year…if there is a postseason in the coming months…and also rewrite the script on a good but not great regular season. Murray’s individual stat line looks almost identical to last year’s, but he’s raised his True and Effective Field Goal Percentages. He’s upped his points per possession in the pick-and-roll slightly and the eye test says that Murray is making reads and passes in the half-court that he wasn’t last season. His defense fell off after a strong start and Murray’s 3-point percentage dropped for a second-consecutive season to just 34.5%.

For those who had high expectations for Murray’s this year he probably didn’t fully meet them, but a strong playoff run heading into next season when his max contract kicks in can alter the entire perception of his 2019-20 campaign.

Brendan Vogt: Who is in and who is out?

A title is unlikely, but I’m highly intrigued by this (hopefully) upcoming playoff run regardless of the futility involved. The Nuggets likely have a tough decision coming this summer. Depending on how this playoff run goes, and who rises to the occasion, that final step — a big move for a piece that takes them over the top — will become more evident.

How valuable is Gary Harris to a contender? Is Jamal Murray good enough to be the second-best player on a title team? What can we expect from Michael Porter Jr. in a potentially short title window? We can gather data in the regular season, but frankly, it doesn’t reveal anything relevant to the questions at hand.

The Nuggets are no longer aspiring for good enough — Denver has loftier goals. But so many things change from the first 82 games to the final 16 wins. The Nuggets bench, the pleasant surprise of the 2018-19 season, shrank in the limelight. Barton III, who was coming off a significant injury, was nowhere close to good enough. Harris underwhelmed. So if the Nuggets do fall short again, and another move is required — who stays and who goes? Who are they riding with? These are some of the questions that will go unanswered should the NBA cancel the season.

Adam Mares: Do Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray have another gear?

If you could whittle the entire 2018-19 Denver Nuggets season into one over-arching takeaway it would be that Nikola Jokic had a higher gear when it mattered most. His 25.1 point, 13 rebound, 8.4 assist average over 14 playoff games was a hall of fame worthy debut and propelled Jokic toward becoming a consensus top 10 player in the NBA. Jamal Murray’s playoff bump wasn’t quite as pronounced but he still had moments that made it clear that he was capable of playing his best on the biggest stage.

Both Murray and Jokic showed real signs of improvement over the course of the 2019-20 season but their real test lied ahead in the playoffs. Could Jokic replicate his 2019 performance? Could he possibly hit another gear? Could Murray make a leap like the one Jokic did last year? If the answer to those questions is yes, then the entire discussion around them changes. Gone are the doubts around Jokic about fitness or consistency or being an “alpha.” Gone would be the doubts about whether or not Murray can be a second star. And at the end of the day, in the NBA your star power matters more than anything else.