We asked. You answered.
In an effort to solicit thoughts, insights and opinions about the Nuggets from you, the viewer who consumes the team most, The Athletic created its first Nuggets fan survey. More than 900 of you chimed in with your answers to questions ranging from the current state of the team to what its trade targets should be this offseason.
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It was great to get insight into how a large swath of the fan base feels about the direction of a Nuggets team that is chasing some lofty goals.
I’ve included my own analysis of each survey result below. Let’s get to it:
Rate your confidence in Josh Kroenke as the Nuggets’ president and governor
With a 1 in these charts representing “Zero Confidence” and a 5 registering as “Supreme Confidence” the split majority of fans view the work Kroenke has done in assembling the Nuggets over nearly the last decade in a favorable light, with nearly 42 percent giving him a 4. One of Kroenke’s first major responsibilities, when he took over at the top of Denver’s front office, was to put together a trade package for Carmelo Anthony, and the haul he got back in 2011 helped the Nuggets win a franchise-record 57 games during the 2012-13 season. Since then, Kroenke has fired two coaches (George Karl, Brian Shaw) and has overseen the management shift from Masai Ujiri to Tim Connelly, keeping the latter in Denver after a courtship from Washington last offseason. To me, these results indicate that Kroenke has done enough to earn the trust of Denver’s fan base, but those fans also expect some aggressive moves in pursuit of the championship that has eluded the franchise.
Rate your confidence in Tim Connelly as the Nuggets’ president of basketball operations
Connelly was the highest-performing member of the trio we inquired about here, with the majority giving him the highest mark for the work he’s done since taking over the Nuggets just before the 2013 draft. Connelly’s draft record hasn’t been perfect — 2017 stands out as a rough night in his tenure — but he has overseen the selections of Nikola Jokic, Gary Harris and Jamal Murray, signed Paul Millsap as a free agent and traded for Will Barton, representing a starting five that has made the Nuggets one of the West’s top teams.
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Rate your confidence in Michael Malone as the Nuggets’ head coach
These results were again largely favorable, with nearly half of all respondents rating him a 4 and nearly a quarter giving him a full 5 for the job he has done since taking over as Denver’s coach ahead of the 2015-16 season. Malone increased Denver’s win total in each of his first four seasons with the team and had a chance to do that again this season before the NBA season was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.
What is your overall outlook for the Nuggets’ future?
I was somewhat surprised by just how overwhelming the optimism was here. Not because the Nuggets don’t have plenty of reasons to feel good about where they are positioned. That confidence is well-earned and valid. But the reality is that it is very difficult to climb from where the Nuggets are now into championship territory. Still, given how young Denver’s roster still is, and the playoff experience it already has under its belt, it’s hard to fault any fan for feeling good about where things are headed.
Will the Nuggets win a championship in the next five years?
This result shows that the overwhelming optimism represented in the previous question has its limits. Nearly 40 percent of those who answered don’t see a title coming to Denver by 2025, with many of those certainly having checked the “Optimistic” box when asked about the state of the franchise. Still, the majority here believe the Nuggets are on pace to secure a title sometime within the next five years. My take: In order for that to happen, the Nuggets have to add one more critical piece.
Could the Nuggets win a championship this season if it resumes?
I’m fascinated by the idea of what a restarted season would look like. The pre- and post-hiatus versions of teams would probably be like two different organisms, and there’s no telling which groups would gel most quickly and recapture a previous rhythm — or shake off previous slumps. Much of this could depend on whether the playoff format was altered. Would the Nuggets have a better shot at a tournament that included shorter series, allowing Denver to even more fully ride Jokic? Even a fan base that proved optimistic in its answers to the previous two questions views winning a title in a restarted season a tough hill to climb for the Nuggets.
How many Nuggets games did you watch this season?
Only one in five folks who responded to this question saw all or nearly all of Denver’s games this season. My guess is that the carrier dispute between Altitude TV and the Comcast and DirecTV providers played a major role in this. That stalemate was an unfortunate backdrop to a season that came with a lot of excitement for both the Nuggets and NHL’s Avalanche. And it’s fair to wonder whether the bridge to a deal will be even more difficult going forward given all the economic ramifications caused by the virus.
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How many Nuggets games did you attend this season?
This lets me know that the passionate fandom of a team can come in different forms. Nearly half of all those who responded did not make it out to Pepsi Center for a game this season. It’s for those folks — who probably have myriad reasons for not attending, from location to financial situations — that the TV contract dispute was probably most disheartening. The reality is it was difficult for a lot of fans to get eyes on the Nuggets on a consistent basis this season. The diehards and season-ticket-holders were represented here, too. Nearly 4 percent of those who responded said they had attended 21 or more games this season.
What playoff opponent did you most want Denver to face in the first round?
Did folks quickly forget Denver’s rough night in Oklahoma City out of the All-Star break? I can certainly understand the Thunder being the choice here. Facing Luka Doncic or James Harden in a series can create a case of the scaries. And, February’s improbable victory aside, the Nuggets haven’t exactly flourished when they play in Utah. So perhaps the choice of the Thunder is something of a process-of-elimination play here. Still, there is clearly no easy ride in the Western Conference playoff field this season, and Chris Paul would certainly have given Denver everything it can handle.
What playoff opponent did you least want Denver to face in the first round?
Can’t say I’m too surprised with this one. The Rockets have given the Nuggets more trouble than any team in the league over the last three to four years, and it has been more than seven years since Denver won in Houston. Both Harden and Russell Westbrook are hardened playoff veterans who know how to hit an extra gear in that environment. Though the Nuggets should certainly have an advantage given the Rockets would have no answer for Jokic, there would be a lot of frightening aspects to a first-round series against the Rockets.
What storylines surprised you most this season? Select up to three. (911 responses)
I predicted Michael Porter Jr. would find his way to the top of the list. Fan interest in the former McDonald’s All-American has been at a fever pitch in Denver from the moment the Nuggets selected him No. 14 overall in the 2018 draft. When he sat out to recover from back surgery during that first season, our readers clamored for even the slightest updates on his progress. So there’s little surprise him actually playing — and sometimes not playing — became such a fixation this season. Many of the answers written into the “other” category commented on some variations of Harris’ struggles this season, and frankly, I probably should have had that as a choice to select in the survey. One other interesting note here: Jokic struggling out of the gates surprised a lot of fans, but few apparently doubted that he’d bounce back.
How would you rate Denver’s moves at the 2020 NBA trade deadline?
The lukewarm response here is understandable. The reasons the Nuggets moved Malik Beasley and Juancho Hernangomez at the deadline were clear. Neither player was a major part of Denver’s rotation. Space was being cleared for Porter to take on a bigger role. Denver was being mindful of a future salary situation that was about to get more complicated. And the Nuggets were keen on gathering a first-round pick after trading theirs away last summer. And an understanding of all those reasons is probably why the move still earned a passing grade. But during a season in which the Nuggets stated they were competing for a championship, I think the results here illustrate the fact that some fans were hoping for more.
What level of player will Michael Porter Jr. become?
Nearly 80 percent of respondents believe Porter will be at least a very good starter. If that happens, if Porter becomes good and consistent enough to live on even the fringe of the All-Star conversation, the Nuggets will be in business.
Will Jamal Murray become an All-Star during the duration of his max contract?
I would imagine that part of this response being so split is that the path to an All-Star guard spot in the Western Conference is hotly contested year in and year out. Steph Curry. Damian Lillard. Westbrook. Harden. Doncic. Paul. It’s a tough group to crack. But the majority thinks Murray, who will be entering his fifth NBA season when the max contract he signed last summer kicks in, can reach that level. For Denver to ultimately reach that championship level, he’ll have to.
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Will Nikola Jokic play his entire career in Denver?
It’s a seemingly rare thing these days for an athlete to do what fans who responded overwhelmingly believe Jokic will do: stay put. But Jokic has already signaled that it is a hope of his to play in a Nuggets jersey for the entirety of his NBA career, citing the respect he had for Tim Duncan playing all those years for the Spurs. But San Antonio was consistently winning championships. Will Denver need to get to that level in order for him to stay committed?
Will Nikola Jokic ever win an MVP award?
Much like the Murray response, I think the results here indicate an appreciation for how difficult the task is. Jokic finished fourth in voting after the 2018-19 season, but he wasn’t really close to Harden or Giannis Antetokounmpo in the voting. He’ll have a major hurdle to climb to catch similarly young players like Doncic in the coming years. But if Jokic remains the central figure in Denver’s attack and the Nuggets buzz toward a title, he’ll give himself a chance. The thing is, Jokic will never be one to promote himself for such an award. He won’t go out of his way to put himself on that kind of radar.
Which player would you most like to see the Nuggets trade for this offseason?
Bradley Beal remains the most enticing trade target in the eyes of Nuggets fans. The 26-year-old is in the prime of his career and recently signed a three-year, $111 million contract extension with the Wizards. But Washington’s slide toward the bottom of the Eastern Conference, with little help currently situated around Beal, has made him a constant topic of conversation when it comes to players who could be traded. It would take some serious ammunition for any suitor to pry him away from D.C., but if a team believed he was the missing piece in a championship quest, would it be worth mortgaging some aspect of the future? The white in this graphic represented “Other” selections, with a number of fans suggesting the Nuggets shouldn’t eye any big trade at all and instead continue to build around their young foundation. Five different fans suggested the Nuggets build a blockbuster trade package to acquire Devin Booker.
Which former Denver player should have his jersey retired next?
The King of Park Hill didn’t have the longest Nuggets tenured, but Chauncey Billups’ status as a Colorado icon — from George Washington High School to the University of Colorado to two stints with the hometown NBA franchise — gives him high marks. The question is which number would you retire? Billups wore three of them during his time with the Nuggets. Nearly a quarter of respondents suggested Carmelo Anthony should be the next Nugget to have his jersey retired, and Melo said as much himself when he visited Denver with the Trail Blazers several months ago. Among some of the “Other” answers: Jokic, nobody and, yep, J.R. Smith.
(Photo of Jamal Murray after dunking over D.J. Wilson: Jamie Schwaberow / Getty Images)