Once again, the Nuggets are kicking the can toward next season

It was May 12, 2019. The Nuggets were hosting the Blazers in Game 7 of their second-round series, one home win from advancing to the Western Conference Finals.

It was a big moment for the upstart team. It was a chance to take a huge step in their ascension in the West. It was an opportunity to provide a sign that they were no longer the lowly Nuggets.

And then they lost.

It was a good game. Denver didn’t get blown out. But Portland advanced with a 100-96 win.

Some were angry. Some were disappointed. Some saw it as an opportunity lost.

But the Nuggets apologists said it was no big deal. Denver’s window was just opening. There would be plenty more chances down the road.

Those of us who watched the 1994 Nuggets unravel in short order knew the future wasn’t guaranteed. It can all evaporate quickly.

Fast forward three years and the Nuggets are still playing for next season. It’s a constant refrain.

The 2020 playoffs were derailed by COVID. Yes, the Nuggets got to the Western Conference Finals, but everything from that season will always have an asterisk.

It’s hard to imagine the Nuggets coming back from 3-1 down if they weren’t in the bubble. That’s a harder road with road trips to Los Angeles and Salt Lake City on the docket.

Last year, Denver failed to build upon their WCF appearance. In part, it was due to injuries. It was also self-inflicted.

Jamal Murray’s injury in April was a killer. But the Nuggets had missteps before that happened.

They were only the No. 4 seed at the time Murray went down. They were playing well after acquiring Aaron Gordon, but were still digging out of a hole that was created because they failed to retain Jerami Grant and Mason Plumlee.

This season, the free pass has continued. Murray still hasn’t returned. And Michael Porter Jr. has missed most of the season with a back injury. So there are zero expectations.

The Nuggets have done an admirable job keeping their head above water, but they don’t have championship aspirations this year. They’re buying time until Murray and MPJ return.

That was evident on Thursday when they didn’t make any moves at the trade deadline. Denver stood pat.

The argument for that being a good idea is that the Nuggets want to see this current group all together and healthy. They were 7-1 after the Gordon trade and before Murray injured his knee.

But that was a small sample size. In the regular season.

Is there any evidence that Murray, Porter and Gordon have championship mettle? How about role players like Will Barton, the Greens and Bones Hyland?

The honest answer is no. But the Nuggets are infatuated with their own guys. They love their homegrown talent.

So they hang on to them, waiting for them all to blossom. Hoping is a more accurate term.

Meanwhile, they’ve already wasted an MVP season by Nikola Jokic and are on their way toward doing it again. How many years is the big man going to play at this level? It’s not going to go on forever.

At some point, the Nuggets need to push their chips into the model of the table. They need to stop dreaming about tomorrow and start playing for today.

It can’t always be about the future. And some point, the Nuggets need to live in the present.

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