It’s Nuggetsmania. And that celebration will be off the hook.

Last I looked inside the Pepsi Center, there was a middle-aged mother shaking her mother jeans onto the large screen, dance like no one was watching, least of all her humiliated son, who slumped into his seat, face buried in his hands. After Nuggets center Nikola Jokic stepped into the foul line, the arena rocked with a chant of “M-V-P! ” by fans, such as one dude who showed up to the match wearing complete Joker face paint.

“You can’t never hear it,” stated Jokic, acknowledging the M-V-P love. “I like it. I like them loud. I really appreciate it. But let’s just go step by step. ”

OK, repeat after Jokic: One step at a time. Let’so never get ahead of these. Slow the roll of the hype train.

However, it’s OK to wake up and dancing. Go a little mad, Denver. The Nuggets awakened Wednesday with a 24-11 record, good for first place in the conference standings, ahead of Steph, Russ, LeBron and all the big dawgs in the wild, wild West. What’s & rsquo;s more, the feel-good story of the NBA season has battled through injuries to triumph with everyday heroes named Malik, Monte and Juancho.

Charles Barkley might have the loudest mouth basketballbut give him credit for uttering a legal purpose: The Nuggets don’t have a bona fide MVP candidate in Jokic, their huge center. “He’s 7-foot-2 Magic Johnson,” stated New York Knicks coach David Fizdale, getting a little carried out himself.

One step at a time? Not now. Don’t quit me if I’m dance. In a year or two, Jokic might not even be the best player on the team, as point guard Jamal Murray is already a danger to score 40 points on any given night in the tender young age of 21.

However, how good is that the Nuggets be right here, right now, in 2019? It all depends on how severe they need to become about accelerating their maturation process for a championship contender.

So what I’m indicating has nothing to do making with a splashy move in the trade deadline in order to add talent. How much Denver can move in the playoffs through the spring depends far more about a mindset that is established now, in the dead of winteramid the grind that shows how stubborn this young team could maintain its professionalism, as the Nuggets fight the inevitable tiredness of 11 games during the upcoming 21 days. Can they move 8-3 in this stretch?

I believed before the season that 50 victories was a lofty but achievable goal. Well, it’s no time to re-adjust these expectations. At a minimum, Denver ought to be happy with nothing less than bringing in home-court advantage for your first-round of their playoffs. Though a stretch, it’s not entirely out of the question this team may break the franchise record of 57 NBA regular-season victories place in 2013.

While they could thrive even while newcomers Paul Millsap, Will Barton and Gary Harris were recovering from injury, the Nuggets have surpassed all expectations.

AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver PostThe Denver Nuggets prepare prior to the first half from the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018.

Is Denver content with just being a feel-good story? If the Nuggets need to be in a position to beat Houston or struggle Golden State in the playoffs, then they cannot get bored with their early-season achievement.

“We all must want more,” Jokic stated. “If we’re tired of achievement Will (Barton) and Gary (Harris), what will we be together with these back? ”

How hard would be the Nuggets prepared to work? Their defensive performance has dropped of late. It has caused coach Michael Malone to predict timeouts in just controlled fits of anger. Is this group prepared to be pushed? And so are these players prepared to hold each other accountable?

“Right now my main frustration is simply too many instances of a lack of discipline and lack of communication,” Malone stated Tuesday night, afterwards Denver played uninspired basketball for three quarters, but finally put away the diminished Knicks, 115-108. “But if you can win matches and you’re not playing the best, it talks with men like Nikola Jokic, who will measure up and bail you out. ”

That’s pretty much the definition of an MVP candidate, why don’t you think?

AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver PostNikola Jokic (15) of the Denver Nuggets contributes a break from the Houston Rockets through the first half of Monday, Nov. 13, 2018.
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But let’so never get ahead of these. What’s & rsquo;s the realistic next step for the Nuggets? I asked Jokic his view.

“Playoffs,” Jokic replied. “Finals. ”

Oh, my. The impossible dream was given a voice. The Nuggets should not just be thinking playoffs, but working towards the Finals.

There’s no stopping the hype train now. This celebration at the Pepsi Center?

It’s just getting started.

Most of us want more.

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