NBA superstar Nikola Jokic isn’t happy with where the Denver Nuggets are at 29 games into the season. In the aftermath of their latest defeat (to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday), the Joker spoke up about the current situation and how the Nuggets can improve going forward.
“I think how bad we’ve played, we’re in a good spot. We are not even close to where we’re supposed to be,” said Jokic, via Harrison Wind. “But I think with how bad we’ve played, we’re in a good spot. We need to start thinking about what I can do for this team to help, not what the team can do to help me. Is it screening, is it rolling, is it passing, is it shooting, is it rebounding, is it playing defense? I think we should point (the thumb not the finger).”
The Nuggets gave up 149 points on the loss on Friday, and their defensive effort was so poor that head coach Michael Malone had to call his team out for it after the game. Sadly, for the Nuggets, these kinds of games have become a habit for them this season and it’s why they are just 3 games above .500 at 16-13 (7th in the West).
Their current 2-game skid has put them half a game back from the Lakers and they might slide even further if they don’t tighten up some of their sloppy play, particularly on defense.
Thanks to the efforts of Nikola Jokic, who is averaging 30.5 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game this season, the Nuggets are a top-six offensive team with an averaging scoring record of 117.2 points per game.
On defense, however, the Nuggets have almost nothing to offer. This season, they are 19th in the NBA on that end of the floor and give up a whopping 114.8 points per game. With the departures of Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in back-to-back summers, the Nuggets lost several key defenders on the perimeter with nothing to make up for it.
Now, not even the greatness of Nikola Jokic can keep the Nuggets afloat. In the Western Conference, being three games above .500 is just not good enough, and for a Nuggets team that’s just a year and a half removed from their first championship, this is not a place where they wanted to be.
This trade deadline, watch for the Nuggets to be aggressive in their pursuit of reinforcements defensively, and they might look to add some players on the wing who can bring both shot-making and defense to the three-point line.
If not, the Nuggets will likely continue to struggle as they attempt to keep up with other contenders. With Nikola Jokic in his prime, the franchise owes it to him to go all-out and do whatever it takes to win. We will see soon enough what they are willing to do and if it’s enough to get the Nuggets back on track.
The Nuggets play tonight, December 28th, against the Detroit Pistons at Ball Arena (9:00 PM EST) and they play again on the 30th, against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center. Finally, the Nuggets will be defending home court on Wednesday, January 1st at 9:00 PM EST against Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We appreciate your support.
