Warriors-Nuggets could be tell-all game for Denver

Many fans don’t want to believe that the Nuggets are a legit threat to the West, but their game against the Golden State Warriors could prove otherwise.

The Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets will clash in the battle of the West’s top two teams.

This matchup could finally prove to the rest of the NBA that the Nuggets are here to stay. Although they’ve been atop the West for a few weeks, not many fans give the Nuggets the respect they deserve after being completely left out of the 2018 postseason.

A big factor will be if two-way star Gary Harris suits up or not. He has an irreplaceable impact on the Nuggets gameplan and is a game-changing defensive-minded guard. Harris would likely match up with two-time MVP and current MVP candidate Stephen Curry.

This matchup, not on national television, will be in Denver’s Pepsi Center. It should feature a fully-loaded Warriors roster, one that’s finally peaking in the new year. But, they’ll get absolutely destroyed if they don’t take the Nuggets serious.

The Nuggets are on top of the West for a reason. They have several huge victories, two over Oklahoma City and two over Toronto. The Nuggets have beat Toronto twice, a feat the Warriors have yet to do once in their two attempts.

On top of marquee victories, the Nuggets have Nikola Jokic, the superstar putting up MVP-caliber numbers and not getting the MVP-level respect. Jokic is averaging 19.7 points, 10.2 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game.

That stat line is one that only Russell Westbrook matches. However, Westbrook shoots over 8% worse from the field than Jokic. Overall, Jokic should be viewed as a superstar, and his talent will be on full display against Golden State.

This game will also be important for gauging how well Jamal Murray can play against the league’s top team. Can he defend a star player while also getting his own buckets on the offensive end?

The Warriors have a handful of telling games where they’ve struggled. This can’t be one of them. The Nuggets have a league-low three losses at home. It’s hard to win in Denver. The Warriors, who lost in Denver earlier this season, have already realized that.

The Warriors played Denver in one of the few games where the team was fully healthy. In that game, Curry posted 30 points, yet it was Gary Harris’ 28 points that helped seal the victory for Denver.

This season, the Golden State Warriors have very little eye-popping victories this season. Primetime loses to Toronto, LA, and Houston have hurt their reputation of the league’s best team, but in Denver, they can recapture it.

Or, on the other hand, they can finally prove to the rest of the league that this Nuggets team is here to stay.