Forget all the talk about next year, Nuggets can still win the title this season

There’s too much talk about the Denver Nuggets next year.

What about the rest of this season?

Ever since the bombshell decisions to fire head coach Michael Malone and GM Calvin Booth, it seems like all anyone wants to talk about is what’s next for the Nuggets. Who’s the next head coach? Who’s the new GM? Might either Jamal Murray or Michael Porter Jr. get traded?

The time and place for those conversations will come. But let’s stop having them right now.

Last time I checked the Nuggets are the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference. They’ll host the No. 5 Los Angeles Clippers when the playoffs begin on Saturday. And we’re talking about next season?

Come on.

Denver still has Nikola Jokic, who’s clearly the best basketball player on Earth. And in their last three regular season games, the Nuggets played more free. Clearly Malone’s message, and demeanor, had grown stale. He had lost the locker room. A change by Josh Kroenke had to be made, and credit to him for doing it when he did.

“What would be crazier? Me doing what I did last week or doing it on an eight-game win streak?” Kroenke asked the media on Monday.

Yes, it looked a little crazy from the outside, but why waste another year of Jokic’s prime to just lose in Round 1? That’s what the owner of the team knew was going to happen if he let Malone stick around, so he made a hard decision.

It just might work.

The Nuggets finished on a three-game win streak, avoiding the dreaded play-in tournament and actually got a decent matchup. It’s not the big, bad Wolves. It’s not the Lakers with Luka Doncic. It’s the Clippers, an older team that is good but not great, despite a nice hot streak to finish the season.

If (and when) Denver gets past them, who knows what could happen? Are we sure the Thunder are ready to win a championship? They’re a great regular season team, but the Nuggets playing with house money in Round 2 could be a blessing in disguise.

After that, it’s likely whoever emerges from the Los Angeles and Minnesota series in the Western Conference Finals, once they probably take out the Rockets or Warriors. Both matchups would be tough, but after winning two series you have to think the Nuggets would believe they can earn a second title in three seasons.

So let’s put all the next year stuff to bed. And talk about it this summer, once Denver either bows out of the dance or we have another parade. Frankly, it’s a disservice to Jokic’s greatness to act like this season is already over.

Sure, the timing was odd. And it’s easy to wonder who the new head coach and GM will be, plus if a major roster shakeup is coming. But those conversations can take place over the weeks after this run ends.

Am I predicting the Nuggets win it all in a couple of months? No. Am I saying it’s out of the realm of possibility? Of course not. This same core did win the whole thing just 22 months ago. It could happen again.

And it would be perhaps the most unique championship in NBA history if interim head coach David Adelman pulls it off. In fact, he’d no longer be the interim leader of the Nuggets. He’d just be the leader, locking down the full-time head coaching job.

So let’s live in the moment and see how this all shakes out. Rather than acting like the season is done, perhaps remember the real fun is only beginning. And then, after that, I’m happy to talk about next year.