DENVER — Chet Holmgren’s boots entered the room before he did.  His size 16 Chrome Hearts Timberlands echoed his triumphant strut, a stroll to the postgame lectern after a convincing 102-87 season-opening win over the Nuggets in Denver.

Coach Diagneault’s potential starting lineup finds itself on the rankings, which only goes to show the expectations around them. The face of the franchise, SGA is predicted to be a top candidate for MVP, with teammate J-Dub potentially earning an All-Star selection.

There are skilled passers such as Denver's Nikola Jokic and Sacramento's Domantas Sabonis. There are 3-point shooters such as New York's Karl-Anthony Towns and OKC's Chet Holmgren. And of course, there are still dominant rim protectors such as Philadelphia's Joel Embiid and Minnesota's Rudy Gobert.