Renck: An excess of success exists in Denver. Gone are the days of counting down the play clock for Nathaniel Hackett, the communication and tactical gaffes of Brian Shaw and the coaching tantrums of Patrick Roy. The Broncos, Nuggets and Avs have their business in order. And their order is the top of the standings (Broncos and Avs) or within a whisker (Nuggets). None of this is a shock, though the Broncos perched ahead of the Chiefs and Chargers ranks as a surprise. For the first time, all three teams are primed to win a title in the same season. We have never had two champions in the same year, let alone three. But let’s not get greedy. The question with so much freeway to still navigate is simple: Which team has the best chance to win one this season?
Keeler: Where’s my Motorola Droid? The Broncos and Avs sit in first place in their respective divisions on Nov. 10 for the first time since 2009. The 2009-10 Nuggets led their division with a 6-2 mark then, while the current Fighting Jokics woke up 7-2, two games back of the mighty Thunder but very much in the hunt. Good times, right? I’ll tell you who has the worst chance — and that’s the Broncos. They’re a killer story. Legendary defense. It’s 2015 all over again. Except young Bo Nix isn’t old Peyton Manning. Sean Payton has a team that looks as if it’ll win 11 or 12 games and host a playoff tilt. And then somehow get upset by Lamar Jackson and a surging Ravens bunch at home.
Renck: Having personally witnessed nine consecutive losses at Arrowhead Stadium and 18 defeats in the past 20 games overall, the Broncos cannot be considered a championship contender until they step on the Chiefs’ chest. Beat them Sunday, my mind opens. For now, my pick is the Nuggets. Yes, the Avs lead the NHL in points. But their lingering power play issues make me squirm. The Nuggets are my favorite because they are different. They are not relying on hope. Denver has a legitimate bench with Jonas Valanciunas, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Bruce Brown. This means more battery power for Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray in the postseason. The last time those two were at full strength together in 2023, we know what happened. And what will happen again.
Keeler: Postseason brackets are different beasts. I want to trust Payton and Nix in a playoff game. Can’t. I want to trust Jared Bednar past the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Can’t. (And I really, really hope to be wrong on those two fronts.) These are “good” problems to have, but problems nonetheless. Defense and the run game travel well in the NFL postseason, and the Broncos — get well, J.K. Dobbins — tick the boxes on those two fronts. But since when has Payton shown any interest in running the ball after the opening series of each half? The Stanley Cup Playoffs are a long, hard slog. Little things add up. If your special teams don’t show up, you’re going home. The Avs’ penalty kill gives me hope. The Avs’ power play gives me hives.
Renck: Truth is, the Avs have more talent than the Nuggets. They should be secretly planning a June parade, even if it is becoming increasingly unclear who their top goalie is. Nathan MacKinnon looks like the best player in the league, unless the Hart Trophy goes to Cale Makar. The defenseman is putting together the type of season that makes anything possible. But until the Avs plug in the power play in the postseason, they cannot be fully trusted. The Broncos continue to conjure memories of 2015. But the Nuggets are my pick. David Adelman will pull the right strings, Jokic will win MVP and Murray, from start to finish, will play like an All-Star. It will simply be that kind of year, their year.
Keeler: It’s weird — I’m probably more optimistic about the Nuggets by default. Adelman’s postseason track record — heck, coaching record — is still in its infancy, still being molded, so you’re tempted to extend a benefit toward every doubt. I really like what the Avs are stacking up right now. But this Nuggets roster was tweaked explicitly to better match up with OKC and Minnesota in a short series. And that, to me, gives them the edge.
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