Nikola Jokic is arguably the best player in the NBA today. And the Denver Nuggets have done well to build around him, winning the 2023 NBA championship. But their recent misfortunes have prompted NBA legend Charles Barkley to urge them to provide him with more help, as his prime cannot be wasted, and he is the best player in the NBA today.
“I hope they make a trade. You cannot waste the Joker’s career. He is the best player in the world. They let two guys go off the bench, that were very vital to them winning the championship. Their bench is weaker than water…”
“If you got a guy that great, you gotta win some more. He’s got another five years. When he gets older, his game is still going to be fine because he’s not the most athletic brother in the world. You cannot waste this guy’s prime. This guy is the best player in the world. Get greedy.”
The Denver Nuggets are currently the eighth seed in the Western Conference with an 11-8 record. While their wins have been impressive, their losses have been avoidable and exposed the lack of depth on their bench. The Nuggets must try and make some moves going forward.
One of the glaring weaknesses of the team is their three-point shooting. Fadeaway World put together a list of players that the Nuggets could target to improve their team’s three-point shooting via a trade.
But the Nuggets must be one of the active teams in the trade market. Come February, they should execute at least one big move. Perhaps a trade to land a superstar like Jimmy Butler could be exactly what they need to establish themselves as championship favorites once again.
Nikola Jokic Playing Amazing Basketball
Even though the Denver Nuggets’ record doesn’t reflect it, Nikola Jokic has been playing really well. For the season, he is averaging a triple-double with 30.1 points, 13.0 rebounds, 10.4 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 56.4% from the field, 52.2% from the three-point line and 81.6% from the free-throw line.
These are MVP-caliber numbers, and they should be expected from the reigning NBA MVP. Jokic has been on the run of a lifetime, winning three of the last four MVP awards. And if the Nuggets were performing better as a team, he would be the leading candidate to win MVP again.
Jokic definitely needs the rest of the team to step up their performances going forward. For all the great basketball he has played, the Nuggets are just three games above the .500 mark. And that is a shame, as he has played winning basketball, but his teammates have let him down.
Perhaps the Nuggets will make a move soon, landing a strong player before the trade deadline passes to boost their chances in the Western Conference.
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