If you seek a turning point for when the Nuggets began their ascension to NBA postseason regulars and securing homecourt advantage three consecutive years, look no further than Dec. 15, 2016.
It marks the date that Nuggets coach Michael Malone officially benched Jusuf Nurkic as the team’s starting center. His replacement? A 21-year-old Nikola Jokic.
Funny. Their opponent that night just so happened to be the Trail Blazers.
Longtime Nuggets fans know what happened next. A disgruntled Nurkic asked out of Denver. The team obliged a few months later trading him to Portland.