The battling franchise might be at the bottom of the National Basketball League with just two
wins from 11 matches, but the team has not given up on making the post-season.
Straight-shooting American coach Don Sims remains positive, even if that optimism is stretched to breaking point.
Just last year he guided the Seattle Mountaineers to the play-offs after enduring a disastrous eight-match losing streak.
But that was a talented team which just needed belief to get its campaign back on track. The Nuggets face a few more hurdles.
"What the absolute problem is is the talent level, to be honest with you,'' Sims said.
"We're rebuilding and we've got some great kids. But there are a lot of teams that have better domestic talent, so we struggle across the board there.''
The Nuggets have been competitive in most of their 11 matches but have not been able to get across the line very often.
"We haven't had that domestic player to step up and make that big play when all else is even. That hurts us but the guys are improving and are giving me what they are able to.''
Earlier on, the Nuggets struggled with their shooting percentages from the floor and 2.14m tall American centre Rahsaan Smith never measured up to the franchise's expectations.
But with Seattle Mountaineers team-mates Lemar Gayle and Antoine Tisby joining the side, the Nuggets have a better mix. However, they still lack leadership from the point and are missing a reliable outside shooter.
Remedying that situation will not be easy. The Nuggets have toiled hard to attract quality domestic players to the region with little success. But watch this space.
Sims has used his contacts in the International Basketball League to lure Gayle and Tisby to New Zealand to play for the Nuggets for much less than they could hope to earn elsewhere.
He has, he said, called in a favour.
Whether he can get Gayle and Tisby back next year remains to be seen. But the coach is keen to return and is confident of attracting similar level imports next season.
Apparently he still has one or two more favours to call in.
The money saved on imports could go towards attracting better domestic players.
Sims is in discussion with the franchise about returning next season and all the indications are the organisation will welcome him back.
The Nuggets have had three coaches in the past four years and have seemingly been in a rebuilding phase since losing long-time major naming sponsor Wickliffe Press in 1999.
Adding to their woes, they have finished last for the past three seasons. Turning the franchise around was always going to be an uphill battle and the veteran coach is the first to admit he has made the odd mistake since coming on board this year.
"It just like any job - you have to learn the ropes.
"Most programmes take about three years to get it to where you want it. Now that I know the league, I can recruit better to our needs, and that was part of that import shuffle at the beginning. I didn't know exactly what to expect or how good all the [other] imports were.''
Sims jettisoned Smith when it was apparent he was not able to make a dent on the competition and also had to let Jay Anderson go to make room for Tisby.
Both Tisby and Gayle have been good acquisitions. Tisby is the competition's leading rebounder and Gayle trails only Waikato's Brian Wethers at the top of the point scorers' list.
Sims has been telling his players all week they are in game one of a seven-match series.
If they win seven or six of those matches they will make the play-offs. They might squeeze in with five more wins.
"You've got to believe it is possible. Myself, Lemar Gayle and Antoine Tisby all know it can happen because it happened in Seattle last year.
"We lost eight in a row but ran off eight in a row. So it is possible but we are taking it one game at a time.''
Game one, so to speak, is against the Harbour Heat at the Lion Foundation Arena tomorrow night.
