HOOPSAHOLIC

The Denver Nuggets come into the 2014 NBA season with a lot of hope and optimism that they can return to the playoffs after missing out last season, in Brian Shaw's first year as head coach. They play in one of the hardest divisions in the NBA which features teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Portland Trailblazers, so returning to the postseason won't be an easy task. 

The success of the Nuggets this season will rest on the shoulders of their point guard Ty Lawson. Last season he averaged 17.6 points and eight assists per clip, but if the Nuggets want to make it out alive in the Western Conference, Lawson must increase both of those averages. He will go against point guards such as Westbrook, Paul, Curry and Lillard on a nightly basis, and he will need to match their production. As the best player on the team, and the person who handles the ball, Lawson will need to improve on his consistency which is something he lacked last season especially early on. If the Nuggets end up making some noise early in the season, don't be surprised if Lawson makes the all-star team. 

After signing a contract extension in the offseason, the Nuggets will depend on Kenneth Faried to take his game to the next level. The "Manimal" is one of the more athletic post-players in the league, and he averaged nearly 14 points and nine rebounds per game last season. Faried also played on Team USA this summer when they competed in the FIBA World Cup. That experience will surely pay off this season, since he was able to go against some of the league's elite players everyday in practice. If Faried could somehow develop a mid-range shot, then he could increase his scoring by a lot and be considered one of the better power forwards in basketball. 

The acquisition of Aaron Afflalo should really help this Nuggets team out. Last season with the Magic, Afflalo averaged 18 points per game. He could be the consistent wing scorer that the Nuggets so desperately needed last season. Afflalo is known to have his up and down years, but he will have a good nucleus of teammates in Denver which will benefit his game even more. The return of Danilo Gallinari will also be big for the wing scoring. Gallinari had to sit out all of last season for the Nuggets because he was recovering from an ACL injury. He's been a sharp shooter in his career so I expect that to continue this season. 

At center, the Nuggets will have the option of starting either Timofey Mozgov or Javale McGee. Last year Mozgov averaged nine points per game and six rebounds while McGee was out nearly the entire year due to injury. Mozgov's name has surfaced in trade rumors recently, so it'll be interesting to see if he finishes the year in Denver. The also have J.J. Hickson who will bring added depth to the post. Hickson almost averaged a double double last season. This could be one of the strong points for the Nuggets.