Without Jamal Murray, would the Nuggets continue to survive in the West?

Teams with defending MVPs don't often get noticed as they enter next season — but that's exactly what's happening with the Denver Nuggets.

Nikola Jokic is the epitome of the unicorn model, which is so valuable and remarkable in the modern NBA. As a 7-foot-long player who can effectively maneuver offense and score points from three levels, Jokic maneuvers the defense with rare shrewdness. Jokic, like Payton Manning, thinks two or three steps and then puts the defender in his preferred position. The end result? Easy layup for the best offensive output. After averaging 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game, and a brilliant 64.7 percent true shooting percentage, Jokic has just reached his best on the basketball court.

Denver brilliantly built a team to reinforce his incredible talent.

Jamal Murray is the perfect 1B for Jokic 1A, a flame scorer who can burst at will. In addition, Michael Porter Jr.'s development as a scorer added another wrinkle to the Nuggets' long ceiling. In retrospect, Porter's drop to 14th place due to back problems was a gamble that could have changed the fortunes of Denver and Jokic's transfer. Aaron Gordon is a big, athletic man who can defend three positions and move effectively without the ball, taking advantage of the ease of cutting into the basket. On top of that, Will Barton and 2021 first-round rookie Nah'Shon "Bones" Hyland provided microwave scoring on the bench and could further complement the ongoing offensive firepower.

Looking ahead to the 2021-22 season, how will Denver perform? As Murray's recovery moves forward from a torn anterior cruciate ligament — a setback that did erode Denver's high-end results last season — a potentially slow start could be just around the corner. Murray's expected return timeline could continue until around or after the All-Star Game, meaning Jokic and Porter have to boost the Nuggets' performance every night. We know what to expect from Jokic, but Porter's chance to further enhance his talent is a great scenario for Denver. Since April 6, Porter has averaged 21.4 points in 32 games and shot 42.7 percent from three-point range. This is a preview of Potter's upcoming debut as Jokic's number one minor selection role, a character that will play a crucial role in maintaining Denver's elite status without Murray.

Porter has shown great potential as a scorer, but he still needs to work as a defender and playmaker. During the Western Conference semifinals, Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams told his star backcourt duo Chris Paul and Dwon Booker to continue looking for Porter's chances to convert. Once Phoenix figured out the formula, the team left Porter barely on the court, and Denver was swept away by intense fashion. If Porter can stride forward as a qualified defender — actually similar to the developments we saw with Booker in Phoenix — it would go a long way toward reaching a potential star-level image within the association.

When you look beyond the Nuggets' Jokic, Potter and Gordon trio, it's an unproven group that needs to complement the full play in Murray's absence. Before the Blue Arrow returns to play Robin to Jokic's Batman, Denver will need to develop more from its youthful core. Hyland shined in the summer league, further proving that he should play an immediate role on the bench to ease the pressure on Jokic and Porter. However, a question mark hangs over the big duo behind Jokic: Polpol and Zeknaji. Ball was a true wildcard, but he never used it in the Nuggets' rotation roster when he entered his final year on contract. Nnaji, meanwhile, has had a tough summer league game and he looks lost in the standings. If neither can be strengthened, Jokic is expected to lead the NBA in playing time this season.

Let's take a look at the Nuggets rotation without Murray for the 2021-22 season:

Starters: Monte Morris, Will Barton, Michael Potter, Aaron Gordon, Nikolai Jokic

Second line-up: Fakundo Campazzo, Bone Highland, Austin Rivers, PJ Dozier, JaMychal Green, Bol Bol

With lots of question marks and unproven depth behind a solid starting lineup, it could be a case that Denver hasn't been fully healthy this season with Murray providing scoring fireworks. The Suns exposed the Nuggets in the playoffs, and there will surely be plenty of teams testing this theory early on to expand further. If Denver stumbles out the door, the team's ceiling could be the No. 4 seed. However, as we have seen, once Murray falls, Jokic can single-handedly carry a list. If Jokic maintains MVP-level production, which should be a near-lockdown state, Denver can stay afloat near the Western Elite tier. Are they better than Phoenix, Utah, los Angeles Lakers and perhaps even Luka Doncic's Dallas team, which is about to take a superstar leap? Probably not.

Denver will need Porter to produce Murray-esque offensive levels, while Gordon will need to be more confident in the Nuggets' free-flowing offensive stream that runs through their massive organizers.

Once Murray returned, Denver had already shown its lethality. If you add another dynamic scorer in Porter — whose confidence should be at an all-time high in Murray's absence — this team can move on. Murray's wild card factor late in the regular season and in the playoffs will be the most noteworthy factor for Denver.

If Murray returns to Murray — a soul-crushing, heartbreaking moment as a deadly scorer — the Nuggets are ready to pounce as a dark horse contender who can run deep. Jokic and Porter need to keep the Nuggets stable and steady, and the Nuggets want Murray to provide much-needed stability and star power back into the equation.

We haven't talked enough about the Nuggets entering the 2021-22 season. But the Nuggets' MVP's 1B is the trump card that really holds Murray's eventual return.