The Denver Nuggets, like several other NBA teams this season, are trying to win a championship. While it feels premature to look that far ahead as we approach opening night, it is obvious that this Nuggets team has championship aspirations.
Led by three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, who is still proving to be in his prime, it would be silly for the Nuggets not to strive for another title. They won it all in 2023, but have really struggled to get back on top, failing to even make it past the second round in each of the last three years. Now, heading into the 2026-27 season, is it the Nuggets' time to reclaim the throne?
Let's pump the brakes, though. We can hold high hopes for this Nuggets team, but they have a much simpler goal. At practice on Monday, head coach David Adelman said the Nuggets' top goal is to finish top six in the Western Conference.
"If you don't have [championship] expectations, this league is daunting. But I would say that our expectation is trying to get in the top six," Adelman said. "If you're in the top six in the West, you can win the West. I'd love to be one. Last year we were three. The year before we were four. ... We've been in really good spots and not won. So you just have to get in first, and that process is tough."
Obviously, it is realistic for the Nuggets to finish top six in the West, and that is not a bad goal to have. Adelman is right; the Nuggets certainly don't want to sit outside the top six and have to win in the play-in tournament just to secure a spot in the playoffs.
While it feels like a simple goal, it is not as easy as you would imagine. Fortunately, this Nuggets team is built for success. They have finished in the top six in the West for eight consecutive seasons, and it would be surprising for them to end that streak this year.
What it will take to finish top six
Last season, the sixth-seed Minnesota Timberwolves finished with 49 regular season wins. The year before, the sixth-seed Timberwolves finished with 49 wins (again). The year before, the sixth-seed Phoenix Suns finished with 49 wins. Obviously, there is a common trend here. To safely finish in the top six, the Nuggets should be striving for the 50-win mark.
Granted, that mark could change this season with the new tanking rules, eliminating the "easy" games that many of these top teams would benefit from, but regardless, Denver should surpass 50 wins. They have won 50 or more games in each of the past four seasons, even last year when they caught the injury bug.
We can assume that if this new-look Nuggets team stays healthy, they will finish in the top six, but let's look at their top competitors: Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Los Angeles Lakers. There are five teams that will truly give the Nuggets a run for their money this season, which still keeps Denver in this top-six tier.
The obvious goal for Adelman is to simply get in the playoffs, and after that, everything resets. Whether the Nuggets manage to finish first or slip all the way to sixth, the only thing that matters is securing their spot.
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