Denver Nuggets realize defending their NBA championship will be a tough task in improved West

DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets met coach Michael Malone’s challenge not to let up after winning the franchise’s first NBA title.

Nikola Jokic somehow got even better with another historic season that made him the odds-on favorite to win the MVP award for the third time in four years, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope all stepped up their games this season and Jamal Murray had another terrific year despite missing 23 games with various ailments.

Reggie Jackson took over as leader of the Nuggets’ second unit following Bruce Brown’s departure in free agency and he teamed with Chris Braun and Peyton Watson to provide steady — and sometimes spectacular — play during the non-Jokic minutes.

“I’m most proud of the fact that as reigning world champion we haven’t been satisfied the whole year,” Malone said. “You gotta stay hungry because we have 29 teams right behind us trying to take what we have. And you need the requisite mindset, energy, focus, discipline, urgency, whatever you want to call it, and we had it.”