Last Monday night, the Denver Nuggets won the Western Conference title for the first time in their 47 year history, edging the Los Angeles Lakers 113-111. That win for the Nuggets was a historic one, as in the process, also completing their first ever franchise sweep of a playoff series.

Denver won a western conference not many saw them contending in, but during the run, a particular date comes to mind: December 20^th. That’s the date they took over the number one seed in the west and never relinquished it. This run for the Nuggets was a culminating of the right formula being put to use, and there’s four reasons why they’re NBA Finals bound.

Home Court Advantage

The first part of the Nuggets successful formula that’s landed them in the NBA Finals is home court advantage. If you include the regular season and the postseason, Denver is 42-7 at home (8-0 in playoffs). It’s an important piece to the puzzle because we’ve watched teams in the playoffs struggle at home. The Nuggets, however, make sure they send their fans home happy with a win.

Ball Arena has become the house of horrors for opponents, having opponents hoping for a win there, instead of being able to walk into the building with confidence. The Nuggets also play faster, getting their crowd involved, and thriving at their highest point which can put their opponents at a disadvantage.

Nuggets Core Growing Together

This key ingredient for the Nuggets is also important: It’s called growing together. Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr. are Denver’s core. They’ve experienced so much together during their tenures in the Mile High City. The Nuggets core pieces have endured injuries and playoff disappointments, but those experiences presented an opportunity they seized: The opportunity to become better mentally stronger and battle tested.

Nikola Jokic

Jokic is the straw that stirs the drink for the Nuggets, which gives them an advantage against any opponent. He makes life so much easier for everyone around him, and he’s very business like on the floor. Jokic is very Tim Duncan esque when he plays because he’s not about the glitz and glamour. He’s about one thing and that’s winning basketball games.

Some doubted Jokic’s ability to lead the Nuggets to a deep playoff run, but those doubts are out to rest now. In the playoffs, Jokic is staking claim to the best player in the world crown, averaging 29.9 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 10.3 assists in 15 games played.

Jamal Murray

Murray is the perfect number two option for the Nuggets. He’s rounding back into form after missing all of last season due to an ACL tear. During Denver’s run to the Western Conference crown, Murray has been elite against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns, but against the Lakers, he was unworldly.

Against Los Angeles, Murray averaged 32.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game in four games played. Those numbers are impressive because he not only provided elite shot making. He held his own while being targeted defensively, bringing the competitive fire the Nuggets really needed from him on that end of the floor.

Michael Porter Jr

Porter Jr. isn’t the flashiest name of the bunch, but he’s never short of confidence. Coming off of back issues the past couple of seasons, he’s rewarding the Nuggets faith when they selected him with the 14^th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Offensively, he can create his own shot, and when he gets it going, is a very tough assignment for opposing teams. But since entering the league, his defense was always a huge question mark.

During the Nuggets run so far, Porter Jr is showing improvement on the defensive end of the floor. He’s not an elite perimeter defender yet, but Denver needs him to be competitive on that end of the floor. So far, he’s showing people he’s not a defensive liability that would stick out like a sore thumb. In the playoffs so far, he’s been a great third option for the Nuggets, averaging 14.6 points and 8.0 rebounds in 33.7 minutes per game played.

Motivated for Respect

This particular ingredient for the Nuggets championship formula isn’t one you can buy, but one you can earn: It’s called respect. The national media in the NBA circles haven’t shown them the respect they’re motivated to seize starting June 1^st. Denver has been the best team in the loaded western conference for months, and they’ve been under the radar. In so many ways, it’s something the San Antonio Spurs faced during their run with Tim Duncan leading the way.

So many looked at the Nuggets as only a regular season team, a team that could excite you from October through April, but Denver’s changing that narrative. The Nuggets core has been overlooked by many, along with their supporting cast. Players like Aaron Gordon, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Bruce Brown are perfect examples of it. Many put labels on them such defensive specialist, 3&D players etc, but they’ve improved their games offensively, giving the Nuggets much needed versatility.

Michael Malone

The final ingredient is the most important one of them all when it comes to winning:

Coaching. The Nuggets have one of the best coaches in the game in Michael Malone, who is the face of Denver’s turnaround to elite status. From the start of the 2016-17 season to this point, his record is 367-270. But as Nuggets coach, he’s already the all time leader in most wins in postseason history, netting 33 wins under his belt. He’s also led them to five straight playoff appearances along the way, keeping Denver visible and afloat as well.

Stats are great, but that’s not what defines Malone for the Nuggets. What defines him is he’s a head coach during Denver’s rise to the top of the western conference who will hold players accountable. Defense is something he emphatically put so much emphasis on in team huddles. From time to time, Malone also doesn’t hesitate to challenge his core players to elevate their defensive intensity.

Malone’s the perfect players coach, who will always have his players back, especially when it comes to the lack of respect they’re getting. On the court, he lets his players be themselves, which gives them the confidence to play through adversity and to thrive in late game moments.

The Formula Is In Place For The Nuggets

To sum it all up, the Nuggets championship formula is in place. They have an elite home court advantage, one of the NBA’s best core group of stars, the motivation to seize respect, and an elite head coach. Each ingredient has Denver sitting comfortably with the NBA Finals getting set to tip off on Thursday night on ABC.

The Nuggets, whether if they’re playing against the Boston Celtics or the Miami Heat, will be a tough out. They’ll be rested and with a chip in their shoulder that’s growing each passing day.

The question is – Will they close the deal and bring Denver their first NBA championship in June? They have a golden opportunity to do so.

-Allan Wright

*Photo courtesy of NBA.com*