National Basketball Association

Denver Nuggets: Ranking the Top 5 Most Important Players

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 12:54 p.m. ET

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Mar 10, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried (35) stretches prior to the game against the Phoenix Suns at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Nuggets head into the 2016 season with great optimism, but which Nuggets are the most important for the Nuggets to have success?

The Denver Nuggets are one of the most intriguing teams in the Western Conference for the 2016-2017 season. The Nuggets possess a unique balance of young talent and veteran leadership that could make them a dark horse.

For the Nuggets to reach their highest potential, certain players need to play to their potential consistently all season long. Lets take a look at the 5 Nuggets players that are most important for the team’s success this upcoming season.

#5: Will Barton

The list begins with the sixth man extraordinaire Will Barton. Barton is coming off a season where he was one of the NBA’s most improved players. He embraced and shined in his role as sixth man for the Nuggets, finishing as the second highest scorer for the team off the bench.

Barton will more than likely not experience a role change for the upcoming season. He will still be a sixth man and this will make him very important once again this season. Having a good scorer off the bench for a team that has struggled to score makes Barton extremely important.

Barton will be the main scorer for the Nuggets bench unit and more than likely serve as the emotional leader of the unit as well. Will the thrill having another successful season will help Denver establish a formidable bench unit and provide a spark anytime the team needs points in a hurry.

Mar 2, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets center Jusuf Nurkic (23) in the second quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

#4: Jusuf Nurkic

Another player likely to find his time with the second unit, Jusuf Nurkic is still one of the most important Nuggets for the upcoming season. Nurkic is another young and talented big man on this roster that should see his role increase this season with the recent departure of Joffrey Lauvergne.

When looking at the Nuggets projected bench unit, they are relatively small and built to score rather than to play good defense and rebound. Insert Nurkic, a strong big man who excels at rebounding and has developed a formidable offensive game over the years. Nurkic will be vital in ensuring the Nuggets are not dominated down low or on the boards when the bench unit is in the game.

His ability to rebound and protect the paint makes the Denver Nuggets second unit much more balanced. Having Darell Arthur at the 4 means that having someone like Nurkic will be essential to help control the boards on both sides of the floor.

#3: Jamal Murray

Next up is the Nuggets first selection in the 2016 NBA draft Jamal Murray. Murray is important to the Nuggets in one area in the particular, scoring. The Denver Nuggets have struggled to be a consistent offensive team, and Murray might be the answer to their problem. Jamal Murray showed at Kentucky that he is a very versatile scorer with the ability to score inside and outside effectively.

Murray will more than likely run at the backup point guard spot to incumbent Emmanuel Mudiay. He will need to become a leader for the second unit and really seize the opportunity to play a vital role off the bench. Murray with his natural scoring ability can be the spark that can win the Nuggets multiple games over the course of the year.

In addition, the decline of Jameer Nelson means Jamal Murray becomes even more important to the team. He will need to be an effective playmaker and scorer off the bench if the Nuggets have playoff aspirations this season.

#2: Nikola Jokic

Nikola Jokic enters this season off a campaign where he finished third in the rookie of the year voting almost out of nowhere. Jokic seized his opportunity with the injury to Jusuf Nurkic and never looked back. After a successful performance in the Rio Olympics, Jokic is no longer an unknown in the NBA community.

Jokic lands on this list because he is realistically the only Nugget at this time with true all star potential. He is an extremely versatile offensive player who can score inside and out as well as grab important rebounds. Jokic needs to hit the weight room and get stronger, but the sky is the limit for the big man from Serbia.

If the Nuggets hope to be a playoff team, Jokic will need to lead the way and reach his star potential. Having a dominant big man is becoming a bit of a dying breed in the NBA, but for a team like Denver, a star big can lead this young guard heavy team to the playoffs.

#1: Emmanuel Mudiay

The most important player for the Denver Nuggets this upcoming season is young point guard Emmanuel Mudiay. Mudiay began to show flashes at the end of last season that he has the potential to be a great guard in this league. The problem with Mudiay was that he was very inefficient at times due to being a bit turnover prone along with a struggling jumpshot.

Mudiay is the most important player because he is who makes the offense go. If Mudiay can avoid silly turnovers, his true talent as a playmaker will show and the Denver Nuggets will reap the benefits. As his jumpshot develops and he becomes a smarter player, Mudiay will be able to drive the Nuggets forward towards the playoffs.

For the Nuggets to make the playoffs, it is essential that Mudiay has a season more similar to the second half of last year than the first. If he remains turnover prone and ineffective shooting the ball, the Denver Nuggets will struggle to take the leap into the playoffs in the loaded Western Conference.