Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic is unquestionably one of the top three players in the NBA and he’s always available to deliver when his team needs him most. But according to some rival executives, the Nuggets are set to run Jokic into the ground with a far too heavy workload.
“The only way they’re going to win is if [Jamal Murray] is really good,” rival executives told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. “Joker is the best player in the world, but they’re going to run him into the ground if he keeps playing this much.”
The Joker has always been a key focus of the offense but this season he seems to be carrying an especially heavy burden. In 5 games this season, Jokic is averaging a career-high 30.4 points per game on a career-high 19.6 attempts per game. He’s taking more shots than ever, getting more minutes than ever (averaging 39.2 this season), and is having his best statistical season with points (30.4), rebounds (11.6), and assists (10.0).
And yet, even with Jokic’s greatness, the Nuggets have been mediocre at best since opening night. They rank 15th in points per game at 115.6 and 16th in offensive rating at 112.2.
After waving goodbye to key role players in back-to-back summers (Bruce Brown and then Kentavious Caldwell-Pope), there is a sense that the Denver Nuggets sabotaged their own success by refusing to take care of their championship core. The same players they let go in the past two offseasons could have helped them tremendously right now.
To make matters even worse, Jamal Murray has been looking like a shell of himself since the Olympics this summer. As an elite ball handler shot creator and playmaker, Murray is essential to the Nuggets’ success and they are at their best when he’s playing at an All-Star level.
But with Murray struggling with his shot (16.2 points per game on 37.0% shooting), it’s put increased pressure on the others to perform and it’s drastically limited the floor spacing around Jokic.
At 2-3 this season, it is shaping up to be the worst of the Nikola Jokic era and he’ll have to work extra hard just to give his team even the slightest chance to win the West. But without some major roster adjustments, it’s hard to see how the Nuggets can find success in the regular season and keep Jokic healthy enough for a lengthy playoff run.
At 29 years old and fresh off another MVP, the Joker is still in the prime of his career and it would not be good for the Nuggets to waste any more of these precious years with a sub-par roster.
If they want to act now and preserve their star for the future, it might be best for the Nuggets to turn in their assets now and get Jokic the kind of help that he deserves. While their options are somewhat limited, expect the Nuggets to consider all their options for change if this trajectory continues over the course of the season.
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.
