The Denver Nuggets have seen several key rotation pieces suffer major injuries this season. With Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and the rest of their starting lineup sidelined at different points in the campaign, the Nuggets have struggled with consistency.
Sunday night’s 128-112 win over the Portland Trail Blazers marked the first time the Nuggets fielded their primary starting lineup in months. After the game, Nikola Jokic shared how important it would be for the team to remain healthy heading into the last 10 games of the regular season.
“We definitely need to stay healthy and get collectively in one direction and get everyone on board,” Jokic stated. “Sacrifice if you need to sacrifice and play harder if you need to play harder. Whatever needs to be [done]. We only have 10 more games.”
Nikola Jokic’s comments reflect a sense of urgency that effectively captures the Nuggets’ current position. Despite having one of the deepest rosters in the NBA on paper, Denver has struggled to assert itself as a title contender due to recurring injuries.
The primary starting five of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Aaron Gordon, and Cam Johnson has appeared 16 times this season, averaging 37.8 points, an offensive rating of 122.2, and a defensive rating of 107.8 in 14.8 minutes per game. With an 11-5 record, there is some room to believe Denver may have been more successful if it had just remained healthy.
On that note, Nuggets forward Cam Johnson also briefly noted the team’s run-ins with injury this season while speaking to the media. However, when detailing the experience of fielding a completely healthy roster for the first time since mid-November, Johnson shared:
“It’s a great feeling having P-Wat back, having AG back. I mean, this is who we are as a team. We’re deep. We’ve got guys that can make plays all over the court offensively and defensively. So, it’s truly exciting to be back at full strength.”
“We’ve got 10 games left to make a push and finalize our place in the standings,” he continued. “So if we jump up and chase some teams down, we can then get ready for the big show.”
Given their 44-28 record (tied for fourth in the West), it can be argued that the Nuggets navigated their challenges successfully and remained competitive. Thus, with a healthy roster, the Nuggets should be considered a threat.
Nuggets forward Peyton Watson also reiterated this during his postgame interview, stating:
“We know we’ve got a good team, and it’s been a while since we’ve had our full team. I think, when we’re healthy, nobody can beat us.”
Denver has notched a 6-4 record over the last 10 games, including a two-game winning streak. With Nikola Jokic playing at an MVP-caliber level, averaging 28.1 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 10.5 assists per game, the Nuggets appear to be rounding into playoff form.
Things finally seem to be falling into place for Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets, but the final stretch of the season will present some challenges all the same. With two games against the San Antonio Spurs and one game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on the calendar to close out the regular season, Denver must overcome these obstacles and build some momentum before the postseason begins.
