Your 2023 NBA Champions: Gold Nuggets Conquer NBA Odds, Joker MVP
Denver Opened Season as 14-1 Dogs to Win NBA Title
The Denver Nuggets won its first NBA title in defeating the Miami Heat on Monday. Denver, despite being the top seed in the West, was just third on the outright odds behind Phoenix (+450) and Golden State (+800) when the playoffs started. But the team became the 2023 NBA champions and did so in dominant fashion. To think this team was 20-1 to win the NBA title during the preseason…
Denver’s Title Run: Navigating Rocky Roads
The Nuggets are the 2023 NBA champions despite what the NBA betting lines initially predicted. Denver opened at 14-1 to win the title, which was the same as two of their playoff opponents: the Lakers and Heat. In what was a chaotic NBA season filled with blockbuster trades and superstars switching teams, Denver stayed the course and won.
Other teams ahead of Denver on the initial NBA title odds like Brooklyn (+700) and Milwaukee (+800) did not even make it out of Round 1. Of course, a lot of it was due to injuries and/or trades that shook up the rosters. Brooklyn sent Kevin Durant to Phoenix just after shipping Kyrie Irving to Dallas. Giannis Antetokounmpo got hurt in the first round.
It was a rocky road for Denver to navigate, but the team remained steady as the best team in the NBA Western Conference amidst all the hoopla around it. The Suns, Lakers, and Clippers all made big deals. They proved insufficient for the playoffs. The Grizzlies and Warriors both dealt with some drama that ultimately derailed their seasons.
Denver also had the benefit of being relatively healthy. Almost every contender lost a star player or two to injuries. But all of Denver’s main players played over 60 games with Nikola Jokic playing 69 and Jamal Murray playing 65.
Nikola Jokic: The True MVP
Jokic may not have won the regular season MVP this season. But he quickly proved that he was the true MVP thanks to what was the most dominant playoff performance. This is not hyperbole. Jokic set an NBA record by being the first player to lead the playoffs in total points, rebounds, and assists.
“It puts him in the legendary category for what he’s done statistically in the Finals,” NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas said to ESPN. “I don’t know if there’s anyone who’s ever had a statistical run in the NBA Finals as a center as he had in these categories.”
And to think Denver played just 20 games, which is the fewest to win a title since the 2017 Warriors. They swept the Lakers after taking out Phoenix, the NBA title favorites from the West.
The Serbian superstar was also a few assists short of averaging a triple-double in the playoffs. He posted 30 points, 13.5 boards, and 9.5 assists while shooting 54.8% from the field. Jokic also broke Wilt Chamberlain’s 56-year-old record by posting the most triple-doubles in a single postseason run with seven. He now sits third all time in playoff triple-doubles behind Magic Johnson and LeBron James.
The Next Step For Denver: Becoming a Dynasty
Denver is not done yet. The Nuggets may have ended this season as the 2023 NBA Champions, but the team now look forward to the next.
“I’ve got news for everybody out there,” Nuggets head coach Mike Malone started. “We’re not satisfied with one. We want more!”
And it’s possible for Denver to win a second straight title as the 2024 NBA title odds favor them at +500. Should Denver pull this off, it will be the first back-to-back champion since the Golden State Warriors.
“You go from an upstart to a winner and a winner to a contender and a contender to a champion. The last step after a champion is to be a dynasty.”
Denver has all five of their starters locked in for the 2023-24 NBA season including Jokic, who is under contract until the 2027-28 season. As long as he’s on the team, Denver should be counted to be a title contender.
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