The Nuggets season came to a close on Thursday night with a 110–98 loss to the Timberwolves in Minnesota. As long as Nikola Jokić is on the floor and playing at an MVP level, each Denver season will come with championship expectations, and 2025–26 was no different. While the prior season ended prematurely, the Nuggets pushed the champion Thunder to the brink, falling in seven games in the Western Conference semifinals. Losses in Games 2 and 7 were routs for Oklahoma City, but there was plenty of reason for optimism for the Nuggets. Denver entered 2025–26 ready for its first full season under David Adelman, who did seem to provide a jolt after the stunning late-season dismissal of Michael Malone in 2025 . After shaking up the front office, the team swapped out Michael Porter Jr., following his postseason underperformance, for Cameron Johnson. The Nuggets looked like they had a burgeoning young star in Christian Braun and locked him up with a five-year, $125 million contract.…