Cameron Johnson is now in place of Michael Porter Jr. in the starting five. Their outside shooting profiles are similar, while Johnson is a more versatile offensive player (particularly as a creator) and a more mobile defender. Plus, the long-suffering Nuggets bench received a talent infusion from Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jonas Valančiūnas. The Nuggets, the defending champs and the Rockets looked poised to push each other all the way to the playoffs. There was a good chance two of those three would find their way to the Western Conference Finals.