What the Boston Celtics can learn from the Denver Nuggets

When Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone took the podium immediately after his team's elimination from the Western Conference semifinals in Game 7, he cited fatigue and the high effort of his star players as reasons for his team's early exit from the playoffs.

“Our guys looked dead tired,” Malone said. “They did. Have I brought our players to their knees? I'm sure that's definitely part of it. That's the decision we made and we're going to live with it.” For an NBA team that has been league MVP three times in the last four seasons, success and victory are not a given.

Statistically speaking, Denver's performance didn't decline all that much between 2022-2023 and last season. In fact, they improved to 57 wins last season in the tough Western Conference, compared to a 53-win season en route to the title. In terms of league-wide net rankings, Denver also improved in points, assists, FG% and 3P%. However, superstar Nikola Jokic's fuel consumption and miles on his body increased from 33.7 mpg in previous seasons to a career high of 34.6 mpg.

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The Nuggets' roster also changes in the interim between title games, and one could argue that roster strength decreased dramatically with key bench veteran Jeff Green departing in free agency and Bruce Brown Jr. following shortly thereafter. Denver's front office's title ambitions have become clear question once again as another title-winning member, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, left for more money in Orlando.

All of the departures have left a talent vacuum that the Nuggets must fill. As a result, Denver has had to rely on the growth of its draft picks like Christian Braun and Julian Strawther. Both are talented young players, but there are some question marks looming over the remaining supporting cast.

With Denver's books looking terribly tight after signing three max contracts, the front office added two veterans on multi-year deals in Russell Westbrook and Dario Saric, and observers have questioned their suitability. One could view this as a last-ditch move for Denver to fill holes and positions on the roster. Were Mike Malone's hands tied last season? Did he overuse his players? Sure, but given the makeup of the bench and the reliability of what's behind his stars, he doesn't really have a choice.

Fast forward to October 2024 and the Celtics' preparations for another championship run are well underway. For Boston, the issue is continuity. All key players are back and most are now signed long-term.

However, there are already some obstacles that they have to overcome. With Kristaps Porzingis set to be out for the majority of the season, it will be important to keep an eye on Al Horford's player status and this will be a key theme to monitor. Jayson Tatum, Derrick White and Jrue Holiday all had a packed summer with Team USA's gold medal-winning men's Olympic team.

After a shortened summer break, a training camp that began a week early and included trips abroad to face the Nuggets in two preseason games on Oct. 4, the priority should be keeping the team's energy for the long regular season and key players not to overwhelm early 6 in Abu Dhabi.

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In total, it will be a 13,300 mile round trip before regular domestic pre-season offerings begin on Saturday, October 11th. These two friendly games against Denver are meaningless in the overall schedule of the actual season. For Boston, however, these early season games will provide a glimpse into the roles and responsibilities of the larger supporting cast, as the top eight is all but set in stone.

Compare Denver's plight to what Brad Stevens has accomplished and it's truly night and day. With the owner's blessing, Stevens focused on re-signing all the major parts, only subtly editing things around the edges. The Celtics' strong roster includes a bevy of players primed to develop within the system, including a second year of growth for Jaden Springer, sophomore Jordan Walsh and an intriguing rookie with an NBA-ready 3- Point shot in Baylor Scheierman.

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However, astute observers should pay attention to the forecourt as we begin searching for back-to-back banners. Al Horford has always been extremely important to this team's success, and this season the 38-year-old Dominican native enters his 18th NBA season. Keeping him fit for May and June 2025 should be a team directive.

Brad Stevens' ability to bolster the front line early in the summer has resulted in Joe Mazzulla having multiple big players to call on night in and night out, a luxury that Denver and its title ambitions couldn't afford last season.

Celtics fans can expect to see a lot of Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman and Neemis Queta as the 24-25 season begins. All three big men have a variety of different characteristics, strengths and weaknesses. Tillman has the footwork needed to protect in turnovers, but not the elite length. Queta gives the C's a big man with long active energy but is still honing a complete game, while Kornet can give Boston the read play and occasional lob threat but lacks the weight and muscle. All three should and will be used much more than in previous seasons. Again, versatility behind star power is a luxury that Denver sorely lacked in the playoffs last May.

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As coaches Joe Mazzulla and Brad Stevens preach, it is important to stay humble, stay prepared, stay in the moment, be confident, stay open-minded and have a growth mindset to continue learning. Much will be written about this Boston Celtics team and its 2024-25 successes, but there is a common thread connecting both teams for this two-game series in Abu Dhabi. It will be exciting to see what lessons Denver's strategy, decisions and arduous road to becoming back-to-back champions can teach the Celtics.