Despicable repeat, the current status of the Denver Nuggets

The NBA will have a new champion this season as the Minnesota Timberwolves dismantled Nikola Jokić’s master plan to rule the world. This turning back of a potential repeat champion is nothing new. The last team to repeat was Golden State in 2017 and 2018. Doing so took adding Kevin Durant to a record-setting juggernaut. Since then, all other defending champions have taken their Cancun exit no later than the second round.

That list includes the Toronto Raptors minus a Kawhi Leonard, a Los Angeles Lakers team gasping for air outside the Bubble, a Milwaukee Bucks team on roller skates, an aging and ever more volatile Golden State Warrior team, and this year’s Denver Nuggets.

What happened?

One could say Naz Reid happened. One could talk about the fit of Karl Anthony-Towns and Anthony Gobert. One could awe and howl and celebrate the leap taken by Anthony Edwards. The Wolves are ascendent, absolutely savage on defense and frothing with reckless energy on offense. They clearly do not care for the expectations of experts, nor the precedence set by teams other than themselves. They’re here. And that’s all that matters to…