The Whiteboard: Nuggets are watching Western Conference contenders pass them by

As many NBA franchises try to navigate the league's newest Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), it's proving to be a struggle for the Denver Nuggets. They've let key free agents walk in consecutive offseasons to avoid the penalties and restrictions of going over the wretched second apron.

First, the Nuggets saw Swiss army knife Bruce Brown signed with the Indiana Pacers two summers ago. Then, more recently, Denver lost standout 3-and-D wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the Orlando Magic. Since then, general manager Calvin Booth and the front office have failed to supplement the talent they've parted ways with for nothing.

Rather than re-signing contributors who played crucial roles in their 2022-23 title run, the Nuggets elected to try replacing them with cheaper, younger players. They spent a first-round pick on ex-Kansas Jayhawk Christian Braun. Moreover, Denver traded for the draft rights of sharpshooter Julian Strawther, Jalen Pickett and Hunter Tyson. All have demonstrated flashes of upside and potential, but none have replicated Caldwell-Pope/Brown's presences.

After seeing the youth movement come at the expense of their depth, the Nuggets thought it'd be a good idea to add a veteran presence. So, they brought in point guard Russell Westbrook. And, to put it kindly, the former league MVP is no longer in peak form (the stats suggest he's far from it).

Meanwhile, the rest of the Western Conference continues to grow stronger. The early portion of the 2024-25 campaign indicates Denver coasting through the regular season into a deep playoff is anything but a foregone conclusion. Even after winning two straight games, the Nuggets have reasons to worry. It's becoming clear they're no longer the Big Bad Wolf many considered them to be.

The Denver Nuggets are watching Western Conference title contenders pass them by

The Oklahoma City Thunder acquired Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein to bolster an already-stacked rotation. While the Golden State Warriors lost longtime franchise icon Klay Thompson to the reigning West champion Dallas Mavericks, they filled out an incredibly deep bench. The Phoenix Suns addressed the most glaring hole on the roster by landing a pair of professional floor generals, Tyus Jones and Monte Morris. Somehow, this is only the half of it.

Six-time All-Star wing DeMar DeRozan joined the Sacramento Kings to form an intriguing trio with De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. Despite beating the Nuggets to get to the Western Conference Finals last season, the Minnesota Timberwolves drastically shook things up in blockbuster fashion. Sending Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for bruising big man Julius Randle and three-point marksman Donte DiVincenzo looks like a rare "win-win" swap. Need we go on?

Oh, not to mention, there's a 7-foot-4 phenom who can do virtually anything on a basketball court representing the San Antonio Spurs. Victor Wembanyama has gotten off to a slow start (by the wildly lofty standards he's set) this year, but he's already a two-way superstar at 21.

How about the Memphis Grizzlies? All-NBA-caliber point guard Ja Morant is healthy (for the most part; missed one game due to right thigh soreness). Plus, he's ostensibly put the off-court troubles behind him. Furthermore, like the Spurs, they got themselves a 7-foot-4 center in rookie Zach Edey.

As you can see, the West is uber-competitive. Although the Los Angeles Lakers didn't make any marquee personnel moves, first-year head coach JJ Redick has made them a more formidable opponent. Nuggets fans have earned the right to not lose sleep over the purple and gold, but they shouldn't overlook them.

Needless to say, the Nuggets aren't a bad team whatsoever. However, given what those surrounding them in the West are doing, they might not be the powerhouse we've become accustomed to seeing.

Make no mistake: Two-time MVP Nikola Jokic is still at the height of his powers. He's widely regarded as the best basketball player in the world (for good reason). His connection with running mate Jamal Murray makes them arguably the most dynamic duo in the Association. Nonetheless, Denver has fallen asleep at the wheel since their championship run, watching rivals in the West pass them by.

Denver's regression is as much about what their conference foes have done as their lack of aggressiveness. When you can maximize a window of sustained success, the reward should outweigh the financial, long-term risks. Yes, limitations and sanctions for exceeding the second apron are astonishingly daunting. Regardless, the formula of betting on in-house growth from inexperienced alternatives is proving to backfire for the Nuggets.

As things stand, the Nuggets rank 18th in the league in offensive and defensive efficiency. For context, they ranked in the top 10 of both categories last season. Albeit a small sample size, this highlights Denver's notably drastic decline thus far in 2024-25 -- on both ends of the floor.

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NBA news roundup:

• The Lakers selected Jalen Hood-Schifino with the No. 17 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, passing up opportunities to select Jaime Jaquez Jr. (No. 18), Brandin Podziemski (No. 19), Cam Whitmore (No. 20), GG Jackson (No. 45) and Trayce Jackson-Davis (No.57) among others. Hood-Schifino has only appeared in 21 games for the Lakers and they've officially declined his third-year option, all but admitting that his selection was a big miscalculation.

• The Bucks are now off to a 1-4 start after a 23-point blowout loss to the Grizzlies. Damian Lillard is shooting 30.8 percent from beyond the arc with his highest turnover rate since his rookie season. If things don't turn around quickly the calls for Doc Rivers to be replaced or a big trade to be made are only going to increase.

• After a frustrating loss to Chet Holmgren and the Thunder on Wednesday, Victor Wembanyama responded with 25 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 steals and 5 blocks against the Jazz. The Spurs were a whopping plus-43 in his 33 minutes on the court. Wembanyama is not just the third player in NBA history with more than one 5x5 game. What do you want to bet he finishes his career with the most in NBA history?