ESPN’s senior writer, Kevin Pelton, dropped his projections on which NBA teams might step up this season and which could take a dip. He named the Pistons, Grizzlies, and Spurs as the squads to watch for improvement, while the Clippers, Lakers, and Timberwolves might be in for a rough ride. This got some chatter going, especially with NBA insider Tim McMahon shocked that the Denver Nuggets didn’t make the decline list.

Tim McMahon is calling out the Nuggets for struggling to keep their championship core together, especially after KCP bounced to the Magic in free agency. He compares their situation to the Lakers’ messy roster shake-up post-championship, where they lost Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma, KCP, and a first-round pick in that disastrous Russell Westbrook trade. He warns, “The Lakers learned the hard way.”

Losing Bruce Brown was a major hit, too, since he was a key part of their title run for the Nuggets, according to Tim. Even though Jamal Murray just scored a max contract, McMahon isn’t holding back about his lackluster playoff showing and rough Olympics, saying, “I’m not saying the Nuggets are falling out of the top 6, but that window to really contend for titles might have closed midway through Joker’s prime.”

With just days left before the new season kicks off, the Nuggets have a lot to prove, especially to critics like Tim McMahon, who thinks they’re gonna take a step back. But hey, even though they lost KCP this offseason, the Nuggets still have a solid squad.