Denver Nuggets stock up, stock down
The Denver Nuggets claimed their first NBA championship in franchise history with a decisive 4-1 victory over the Miami Heat, and Nikola Jokić was named Finals MVP, cementing himself among basketball's all-time greats. Here are four members of the organization who are trending up or down for the Nuggets.
Stock Up
Nikola Jokić, C: The two-time MVP was virtually flawless throughout the entire playoffs, effortlessly orchestrating Denver's highly potent offense, which boasted a staggering offensive rating of 119.5 in the 2023 playoffs.
Jokić's postseason averages were astounding: 30 points, 13.5 rebounds and 9.5 assists coupled with a shooting efficiency of 54.8 percent from the field and 46.1 percent from beyond the arc. Given the dominance of his state line and the ring to back it up, Jokić arguably just had one of the greatest playoff runs in NBA history.
In the closeout Game 5 when everyone else on the Nuggets really struggled, Jokić was nearly perfect.
His exceptional performance throughout the playoffs cements his as the undeniable best player in the world.
Jamal Murray, PG: The other obvious choice is the 26-year-old out of Kentucky. Murray's coming off of a major knee injury that sidelined him for over a year. Despite this, Murray averaged 26.1 points, 7.1 assists and grabbed 5.7 boards on a shooting split of 47.3/39.6/92.6 in the playoffs. At times, it was magical.
His performance in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers was especially memorable, dropping 30 in a half.
Denver needed every bit of Murray's stellar play to win this championship. He delivered and then some.
Calvin Booth, General Manager: Booth's stock is certainly on the rise after Denver's championship win. Since joining the organization in 2017 and being promoted to GM in 2020, Booth has built one of the best rosters in the NBA top-to-bottom. One that's loaded with intelligence, excellent point-of-attack defense and reliable shooting.
Under Booth's leadership, the Nuggets made four key additions to their rotation from last season, acquiring Bruce Brown, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Christian Braun (rookie) and Jeff Green. All four of these players made huge plays night in and night out and without them, the Nuggets wouldn't be coming off a parade on Thursday.
Calvin Booth, this was a masterclass in roster construction.
Stock Down
Reggie Jackson, PG: After playing in 68 combined regular season games this season, the former Los Angeles Clipper played in just six playoff games averaging 0.5 points in just three minutes. Just two seasons ago when the Clippers made the Western Conference Finals, Jackson averaged 17.8 points shooting 48.4 percent from the field, 40.8 percent from three and 87.8 from the free throw line
Booth acquired Jackson at the deadline in exchange for "Bones" Hyland in a bid to find a suitable backup for Murray. However, Jackson struggled to find a consistent role in head coach Michael Malone's rotation. In retrospect, it appears the Nuggets didn't really need Jackson's services in the championship quest.
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