ahimes@mavs.coloradomesa.edu dlmeyer@mavs.coloradomesa.edu

Anthony Himes: As soon as the Nuggets received Andre Iguodala in a trade over the summer, I knew the Nuggets would be a legit contender in the West. Iguodala brings the shut-down defense that they didn’t have against Kobe and the Lakers last season and Kevin Durant and the Thunder the year before. But now they have the stopper, and he has proved worthy of his All-Defensive Team award.

Levi Meyer: Igoudala is a top-tier perimeter defender in the NBA, but it takes team defense to contend for a Championship. The Nuggets are 25th in the NBA in points allowed (100.6 ppg) and give up the third-most turnovers per game (15.3). The Nuggets are too young and undisciplined on both sides of the ball to win when it counts.

A.H.: A young team always finds a way to rally around its team leaders. Remember the Sixers last year? The only veteran guy was Iguodala, but they had the talent to push the Celtics to game seven in the semis. The Nuggets are a much better version of that team. The way they are playing now, they should finish in the top four in the conference, and could beat any team behind them in the first round, especially with homecourt advantage.

L.M.: The Sixers were fortunate enough to sneak through the playoffs in an abysmal Eastern Conference that was mourning the loss of Derrick Rose. The Nuggets are in the wild Western Conference. Earning the No. 4 seed matches Denver up with a stingy Grizzlies squad, and anything worse will mean road games in L.A. or Oklahoma City. I love my Nuggets, but I’ll pick Durant-Westbrook and Griffin-Paul over the Nuggets on the road.

A.H.: The Griffin-Paul led Clippers will not make it out of the first round. They are too unhealthy and miss a ton of games. Plus, I will take Kenneth Farried over an overrated Griffin any day. The Grizzlies team is going through quite a bit of change so far this season, so it’ll be interesting to see if they can last the year. The Nuggets are first in fastbreak points with 19 PPG, so if they run their game, it’s going to be a good time. The Nuggets can fix any problem they have at the deadline with so much depth, especially in the post. The team is made to win at least one round in the playoffs.

L.M.: The only way the Nuggets are going to escape the first round is if they pick up a proven leader. In a close game in the playoffs, one great play can be the difference. The Clippers will put the ball in Paul’s hands, and the Thunder will put the ball in Durant’s hands. The Nuggets will either let Iggy or Gallinari throw up a hasty three or let Ty Lawson dilly-dally until the clock runs out. Nobody on the Nuggets can turn a series with a big play, and it’s going to cost them in the postseason.

A.H.: Iguodala not only has playoff experience, but also experience in the postseason where he is clutch and hit very big shots. He will be that player for the Nuggets. And if the Clippers try to put the ball in Paul’s hands or the Thunder in Durant’s hands, Iguodala will have a hand on the ball or in their face to prevent the easy shot. The Nuggets have already survived perhaps the toughest part of their schedule when they played so many games on the road to start the year. They can only get better and better by the time the playoffs start.

L.M.: It’ll take a miracle for Iguodala to lead the Nuggets to a first-round victory. They are 6-16 in first round games and lack the physical presence inside to stop Marc Gasol or Blake Griffin. And if the Nuggets’ shooting cools off before the postseason, forget about a first-round win. The Nuggets are a good team, but it takes a great team to advance in the West.