With the NBA season three weeks in, the elite teams are starting to pull away from the rest. The Denver Nuggets, led by Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, have jumped out to second place in the Western Conference, and they are becoming a dominant force in the NBA.

The leadership this year from young players is a huge factor in the team’s success. Jamal Murray has really stepped up to be a great 3 and D option for the team. He is averaging career highs in both steals and blocks, along with holding his opponent to just a 39% field goal rating. Murray has also been a force on the offensive side of the ball. He’s shooting 43% from the field and is averaging 18.5 points per game.

Nikola Jokic has been an offensive nightmare for other teams this season; he has almost averaged a triple double so far. His stat line of 15.8/9.7/7.4 has made him a force in the league, making him a top 10 center this season.  His defensive stats are pretty solid, averaging just about 1.5 steals per game to go along with a little under 1 block a game. Jokic’s overall impact on the court is incredible. The team’s chemistry is higher when they have he and Murray on the court.

The Denver Nuggets have also won some crucial games this year, proving they can hang with the big guns. Their third game was a matchup with the head of the Western Conference, the Golden State Warriors. Nikola Jokic and Gary Harris combined for 51 of the teams points and led them to a 100-98 victory in a very important season series opener. On November 5, they faced off against the Boston Celtics in a possible NBA Finals matchup. They took home a 115-107 victory in a controversial and very heated game. Jamal Murray took over in the fourth  quarter, scoring 18 in the fourth and 48 on the night, to carry the team over the talented Celtics.

The team has high expectations for this season, and they hope to meet each and every one of them. Their hot start has definitely helped them out, along with dominating performances from their star players, Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Gary Harris. This season for the Denver Nuggets is sure to be an exciting one.