Denver Nuggets: Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Gary Harris
- Combined 2018-2019 per game stats: 54 PPG, 18 RPG, 14 APG, 1 BPG, 3 SPG
- OFFRTG: Jokic: 114.5, Murray: 112.4, Harris: 113.2
- DEFRTG: Jokic: 106.2, Murray: 106.8, Harris: 103.5
- BPM: Jokic: 9.8, Murray: -0.6, Harris: -1.8
- All-Star?: Jokic: 10 (he’s already an all-star), Murray: 8, Harris: 2
- Superstar?: Jokic: 10 ( he’s already a superstar), Murray: 3, Harris: 1
If you think the 76ers core is better than the Nuggets let me share some facts with you:
- The Nuggets have a better record than the 76ers and they play in the more difficult Western Conference.
- The Nuggets young core is almost solely responsible for their record, while Embiid and Simmons have been able to lean on another All-Star in Butler for most of the season and they’ve also had Tobias Harris’ services for about ten games now.
Jokic is the best center in the league. If you don’t believe me go compare his advanced stats to every other center in the NBA.
Murray is only 21-years-old and he’s already leading a title contender into the playoffs. Murray’s game is a much better fit for today’s NBA than Simmons’, because he can score at every level on offense, plus Murray’s a surprisingly good defender for his age.
Harris is one of the best young defenders in the league and he’s more than just a 3-and-D type player. He can get to the rack, score from mid-range and shoot from distance.
If I had to choose between a young core of Jokic and Murray vs. Embiid and Simmons I’d go with Jokic and Murray, simply because they are proving that they can win at a higher rate than Embiid and Simmons and they play in a better conference.