Inept Nuggets stopping Nikola Jokic’s unreal performances from helping them to win
Michael Malone needs to figure out how to ensure the Denver Nuggets can help Nikola Jokic keep winning after his incredible performances.
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Nikola Jokic is playing out of this world, but the Denver Nuggets are not showing the results
Nikola Jokic has been playing at an unbelievable level this season and is firmly at the top of the MVP race. Prime among those performances has been his nine-game stretch since returning after the birth of his son. But those performances have not turned into success for the Denver Nuggets as they have gone 4-5 in that same stretch.
In that time, The Joker has been putting up 35.1 points, 13.4 rebounds and 8.4 assists. Those numbers should usually mean wins, but somehow the 2023 NBA champions have not been able to stay on top. His most recent couple of games saw him score over 100 points, but his team is still 1-1.
Something does not seem right with a Denver Nuggets squad that still continues to have Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon as their starters. This same quartet were instrumental in winning that first title for the franchise. But now, they look unable to string together a response when needed.
The squad is heavily relying on Nikola Jokic’s scoring
Last season, the bench was named as a problem when the Denver Nuggets crashed out in the Western Conference Semi-Finals. This season, their bench has not seen that improvement and instead, lost standout veteran Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
KCP has gone on to fortify and help the upstart Orlando Magic streak to a 17-9 run. But that does not mean the Denver team is not capable of stringing together wins on their own. They still have three All-Star caliber players and a Russell Westbrook who is playing good basketball in a different role.
Though somehow, they have forgotten to play at their best in these past nine games. One look at the highlights and one can see that the earlier rhythm with which they won the 2023 NBA title is missing. Now, Jokic is playing a lot more isolation basketball.
Could it be that Michael Malone cannot trust the rest of his players with showing some level of consistency? Or could it be that he is not reiterating the task at hand and allowing players to freestyle. With the bench he has, the last thing he should be looking at is allowing players to veer off their schemes.
The Joker’s effectiveness is when employing the Nuggets schemes
The one stat Nikola Jokic has seen drop off in this nine-game stretch has been his assists. With Russell Westbrook taking over playmaking duties, the influence Jokic has is diminished. Now he is throwing passes to his teammates only when he is forced to.
From someone known as the best passing big man in the league, that is a far cry from their usual style of play. Fans and analysts have been enthralled by their constant motion-based offense which is focused on Jokic’s passing. That motion causes a lot of commotion for the opponents, which helps the Nuggets to beat their opponents easily.
Resorting to anything other than those schemes has spelled nothing but trouble so far. It was a similar story with his Serbian national team, who relied on his brilliance a bit too much during the Paris Olympics. That time, he dragged them to the bronze medal. But the Denver Nuggets are not playing for bronze.
For the franchise and their leading superstar, nothing less than an NBA title would make sense. For that to happen, they need to revert to their old playing style, and ensure the younger stars get the leadership from the veterans to provide necessary cover. And they need Jamal Murray back and healthy at his best.
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Joseph Varghese
(2168 Articles Published)