Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche, you’re up.
The dream for three parades in the Mile High City died when Bo Nix broke his ankle against the Buffalo Bills.
That was the best case scenario, three gatherings in downtown Denver over the next six months. Instead, it’s Seattle hosting a parade today while Broncos Country wonders what could’ve been.
But it’s not all bad news, as both the Nuggets and Avalanche are capable of winning championships this year.
It’s go time.
The NBA All-Star break can’t get here soon enough, with the Nuggets limping toward the finish, losers in four of their last five games.
And limping is an accurate word based on how many injuries the team has suffered this season. It’s beyond absurd.
Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, Cam Johnson, Peyton Watson and Jonas Valanciunas have all missed at least five games. That’s basically a postseason rotation for head coach David Adelman along with the likes of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown.
In the cases of Jokic, Gordon, Braun and Johnson it’s a lot more than five games. That’s 80 percent of the Nuggets starting lineup that’s been in street clothes way too many times.
Of course, it’s not their fault, but let’s hope the injury bug is out of the way by April.
Denver squandered golden opportunities to win titles each of the last two years. The heartbreaking Game 7 loss to the Timberwolves when they were trying to go back-to-back, plus another Game 7 defeat at the hands of the eventual champion Thunder a season ago.
They’re only going to get so many cracks at this thing in Jokic’s prime. 2023 was awesome, the Nuggets first ever NBA Finals win, but it’s time to do it again. Almost all the greats in league history have at least two rings and we’re ready for Jokic to get his second.
He’s the best player on Earth and this version of the Nuggets, when healthy, is the most elite roster they’ve had since hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy. The next two months are about getting every key player feeling right then being all-in for the playoffs.
In the Avalanche’s case, they’ve clearly established they’re the top team in the NHL at the Olympic break. We won’t get to see Colorado back in action for a couple of weeks, but watching Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Devon Toews, Brock Nelson, Martin Necas, Gabriel Landeskog, Artturi Lehkonen and others in Italy will be a treat.
At least one player should come home with a gold medal, if not multiple guys.
Regardless of what happens in the Olympics, it’s Stanley Cup or bust when the NHL returns at the end of the month. There are zero excuses not to win the whole thing.
And if they fall short, fans likely don’t even want to think about the changes that could be coming. Fair or not, head coach Jared Bednar and / or GM Chris MacFarland might be fired. The core could get blown up outside of MacKinnon and Makar. It’s a reality we don’t want to live in if the Avs fail.
The good thing is the players know it. They’ve won a single playoff series since lifting the Cup in 2022. Two first-round exits and one second-round exit over the last three years simply isn’t good enough. Everyone in that building is aware.
Does it create pressure? Of course. But the best athletes thrive under pressure and it’s time for Colorado’s superstars to do it again in the postseason.
Denver has to have at least one parade this summer, anything else would be a failure and leave fans wondering what in the world happened.
Both the Nuggets and Avalanche are more than equipped to reach the mountaintop. So, strap in, the next 4.5 months will (hopefully) be an unforgettable sports journey.