Nuggets, Bucks And The NBA’s Between-Dynasty Missed Opportunities

MINNEAPOLIS , MN - APRIL 30: Nikola Jokic (15), Jamal Murray (27) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) of the Denver Nuggets walk to the bench for a timeout as the Minnesota Timberwolves celebrate during the third quarter of the Timberwolves' 110-98 Game 6 first round NBA Playoffs series win at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Thursday, April 30, 2026. Minnesota eliminated the Nuggets 4-2.

(Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post) Denver Post via Getty Images When the Denver Nuggets fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night, the loss carried some finality to it. The series was over, yes, with Minnesota advancing in six games. But more than that, it felt like the end of Denver’s time as a serious contender in the NBA’s Western Conference with this current core.

In the wake of the defeat, Denver star Nikola Jokic said the team was far from contention – damning for a team that was tied for second in championship odds going into the 2025-26 season. The Nuggets’ diminishing returns since winning the 2023 NBA title say he’s right, though. Since winning the 2023 NBA championship, Denver has lost twice in the West semifinals, and now in the first round.

Despite Jokic’s MVP-caliber play, the team around him isn’t getting any younger, and is mostly boxed into its current roster build that’s falling behind the burgeoning potential dynasties in the West, with Oklahoma City and San Antonio. Between-Dynasty Opportunities The NBA’s history is primarily defined by dynasties (Celtics, Bulls, Lakers, Spurs, Warriors), but in between those stretches are usually some interstitial years where other teams can sneak in a title before the baton gets passed. In the 1990s, the Rockets pulled it off twice before Michael Jordan’s full return when the Bulls reclaimed the NBA’s mantle again from 1996-98.