丹佛掘金队在2020年NBA总决赛中险些占据一席之地，但洛杉矶湖人队的经验和老练的领导能力却让人难以驾驭。掘金队奇迹般地从与洛杉矶快船队的1-3落后中恢复过来，而贾马尔·默里和尼古拉·约基奇也被证明是联盟中最致命的二人组之一。

掘金队在2021年的选战中仍然是一支不可忽视的力量，因为小迈克尔·波特（Michael Porter Jr.）不负众望，成为联盟中最优秀的年轻球员之一。他们甚至在交易截止日期中加入了亚伦·戈登，作为一名瑞士军刀型球员，以赞美他们的核心。不幸的是，穆雷在三月份的时候ACL拉伤，使掘金队的夺冠愿望脱轨。

随着球队的恢复，这里是我们对丹佛掘金队即将到来的NBA赛季的预测。

小迈克尔·波特将赢得进步最大的球员

由于贾马尔·默里预计会在三月份的某个时候回来，小波特必须帮助约基奇处理掘金的进攻任务。他完全有能力以接近25个PPG的平均成绩让掘金保持西部顶级球队的地位。他的外线射门能力将是乔基奇和后卫们的一个完美选择，他们将始终依靠他每场比赛转换大约三枚远程炸弹。

除此之外，小波特还可以在运球时为自己创造投篮机会，因为他身高6英尺10英寸。当他第一步快速跑向篮筐时，他得到了助攻，这使得防守方可以选择让他转换投篮或者犯规，然后把他送上底线。

当他继续扩大他的进攻范围时，他也会扩大他的视野，当防守开始以他的防守计划为重点时，让他的队友参与进来。此外，小波特有足够的机动性和速度来防守联盟中最好的两翼，因此提高他的防守智商和意识对他来说也是不可或缺的。

尼古拉·约基奇将比去年表现更好，但不会赢得MVP诺维奇赛事预测

尼古拉·约基奇去年获得了MVP的多数选票，对这位塞尔维亚巨人来说，这是一个令人印象深刻的赛季。尽管他不是一个直言不讳的领袖，但他激励队友的能力并不是每个超级明星都能拥有的。然而，有人可能会说，迪安德尔·艾顿在西部半决赛中击败了乔基奇，因此乔基奇在比赛中仍有一些方面可以改进。

由于穆雷的缺席，乔基奇的得分率有很大的提高机会。他在防守方面也会更有效，尤其是他的身材更苗条。对手们过去常常利用乔基奇的慢脚，但他快速的手和在选择和滚动的情况下的反应将大大缓解他前面提到的弱点。乔基奇在整个赛季都将保持不屈不挠的状态，但他很难再赢得一个MVP，因为丹佛掘金队上赛季要复制他们的第三个种子队的成绩将非常艰难。

贾马尔·默里在还剩15-20场比赛的情况下复出，带领丹佛掘金队进入第二轮

随着掘金队在持续不断的进攻中度过了一段艰难的时光，穆雷以100%的优势回到了阵容中，并带领丹佛队在西部联赛中至少跻身前六名。他从一开始就不能打35-40分钟的比赛，但是他在场上的表现和几次得分的冲刺对掘金的成功和崛起是不可或缺的。

虽然穆雷仍在恢复比赛状态，但他也可以在他们的进攻战术中充当诱饵，因为对手知道穆雷可以从球场的任何地方发射。有充分的证据表明，当灯光明亮时，穆雷会提升他的比赛水平。到那时，穆雷已经恢复了信心，掘金队将成为七场系列赛中一个危险的对手。

波尔-波尔在丹佛掘金轮换中找到了一致的位置

两年多来，当波尔·波尔在一个大个子的框架内以他像后卫一样的技术进入球场时，NBA球迷们一直很开心。他还没有打破主教练迈克尔·马龙的轮换，因为他仍然很不成熟，在NBA舞台上还有很多东西需要证明。他不能很好地防守大个子，因为他的体型，但他的速度也不快，这将迫使他在防守端出现不匹配。

博尔有机会在每场比赛中获得大约8分钟的时间作为对乔基奇的补充。通过这个机会，他必须抓住机会，向马龙证明他可以在他的体系中的许多方面做出贡献。杰米查尔·格林和杰夫·格林是小波特和戈登的替补，波尔成为乔基奇的始终如一的替补是很现实的。他不会马上得到一分一秒的上场时间，但他的工作是证明自己，并在自己的角色中茁壮成长。此外，随着赛季的进展，他可以迫使马龙调整和增加他的上场时间和角色。

原标题：

Denver Nuggets: 4 bold predictions for the 2021-22 NBA season

原文：

The Denver Nuggets were on the brink of cracking a spot in the 2020 NBA Finals, but the experience and veteran leadership of the Los Angeles Lakers proved to be too much to handle. The Nuggets miraculously came back from a 1-3 deficit against the Los Angeles Clippers, while Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic also proved to be one of the most lethal duos in the association.

The Nuggets continued to be a force to be reckoned with in the 2021 campaign as Michael Porter Jr. lived up to the hype as one of the best young wings in the league. They even added Aaron Gordon in the trade deadline as a Swiss Army Knife type of a player to compliment their core. Unfortunately, Murray incurred a torn ACL injury in March and derailed the championship aspirations of the Nuggets.

With a rejuvenated squad, here are our Denver Nuggets predictions for the upcoming NBA season.

Michael Porter Jr. will win Most Improved Player

As Jamal Murray is expected to return around sometime in March, Porter Jr. has to help Jokic handle the offensive duties for the Nuggets. He is more than capable to average close to 25 PPG for the Nuggets to remain as one of the top teams in the West. His outside shooting prowess will a perfect option for Jokic and the guards to consistently rely on him to convert around three long range bombs every game.

Along with that, Porter Jr. could also create shots for himself off the dribble because of his 6’10” stature. When he gets that quick first step to the rim, he gets that boost which leaves the defense with the option to just make him convert the shot or foul him and send him to the line.

As he continues to expand his offensive game, he will also expand his vision and involve his teammates when defenses start to focus on him with their defensive schemes. Moreover, Porter Jr. has the mobility and quickness to defend the best wings in the league, so it will be integral for him to raise his defensive IQ and awareness as well.

Nikola Jokic will be better than he was last year but will not win MVP

Nikola Jokic received majority of the votes for MVP last year, and it was such an impressive season for the Serbian giant. His ability to galvanize his teammates despite not being a vocal leader is a talent that not every superstar can possess. However, one could argue that Deandre Ayton outplayed Jokic in the Western Conference Semifinals, thus there are still some facets of his game that Jokic could improve on.

The scoring production of Jokic has a large chance to increase because of the absence of Murray. He will also be more effective on the defensive side of the floor, especially with his slimmer frame. Opponents used to capitalize on the slow feet of Jokic, but his quick hands and reaction on pick and roll situations will more than mitigate his aforementioned weakness. Jokic will continue to be durable all throughout the season, but it will be tough for him to win another MVP because the Denver Nuggets will have an arduous time to replicate their third seed finish last season.

Jamal Murray comes back with 15-20 games left, leads Denver Nuggets to 2nd round

As the Nuggets continue having an atrocious time manufacturing consistent offensive production, Murray returns to the lineup at 100% and leads Denver to at least a top six seed in the Western Conference. He will not be able to play 35-40 minutes from the onset, but his mere presence and several scoring spurts are integral to the success and rise of the Nuggets.

While Murray is still getting back into game shape, he could also act as a decoy on their offensive tactics because opponents know that Murray can launch it from any part of the floor. It is also well-documented that Murray elevates his game when the lights are bright. By that juncture, Murray has already regained his confidence, and the Nuggets will be a dangerous opponent in a seven-game series.

Bol Bol finds a consistent spot on the Denver Nuggets rotation

For over two years, NBA fans have been entertained when Bol Bol enters the floor with his guard-like skills in a big man’s frame. He has not cracked the rotation yet of coach Michael Malone because he is still very raw and has a lot to prove on the NBA stage. He cannot defend bigs well because of his size, but his speed is not quick as well which will force mismatches for him on the defensive end of the floor.

Bol has a chance to earn around eight minutes per game as a backup to Jokic. Through that opportunity, he must pounce on it and prove to Malone that he could contribute on a plethora of aspects in his system. With JaMychal Green and Jeff Green being the backup of Porter Jr and Gordon, it is just realistic for Bol to be the consistent backup to Jokic. He will not be given a ton of minutes right away, but it is his job to prove himself and thrive in his role. Moreover, he can force Malone to adjust and increase his minutes and role as the season progresses.