The Denver Nuggets are 5-7 over their past 12 games—not the outcome one would expect when their leading superstar Nikola Jokic has averaged a 30-point double-double along with leading the team in assists. That stretch points to a more serious problem the franchise has as it looks to right its sinking ship.
During their 2023 NBA title run, four of the current five starters contributed immensely to helping them lift their first ever championship. The Serbian was the NBA Finals MVP, but without the contributions of his teammates, that title would not have been won.
Since then, the team lost some core bench players which led them to exit the Western Conference semi-finals last season. This season, though, those problems have aggravated despite recruiting Russell Westbrook to lead their second unit. It points to three issues the Denver Nuggets face despite the heroics of their superstar.
Jamal Murray has seemingly regressed
Jamal Murray is the second of their primary one-two punch with Jokic. Their incredible pick-and-roll offense was one of the bedrocks of that title win. This season, he has missed five games due to injury, but other than those absences, he seems to have regressed.
The 27-year-old was expected to take a leap into becoming an All-Star this year. But his play so far has been anything but that. He is playing the most minutes of his career, but his scoring average has declined to almost four points less than what it was last season.
That is a significant drop when one is supposed to be the second leading scorer on the team. Two major contributing factors stand out on the stat sheets—his three-point shooting and shots from the free throw line. Both are uncharacteristically career lows in what is his eighth season.
What makes it more distressing for the franchise is that this dip in production came after he signed a mammoth extension in the offseason. With their second-highest paid player regressing, Nikola Jokic has been forced to step up. However, a regressing Jamal Murray is not the only problem.
The bench is not where they expected it to be
Russell Westbrook was signed with the hopes that he can continue his bench motivating form from last season. His leadership was a necessity for a bench featuring a lot of young players. The NBA’s ‘triple-double king‘ has kept up his share of the bargain.
He has let go of his former desires to be a focal part of the offense to become more of a facilitator. In many games he leads the team in assists, as he looks to help his teammates score. But that has not necessarily helped the team as the bench players continue to be absent from games.
Their lack of scoring has become such a problem that Nikola Jokic is playing the most minutes of his career. Such high minutes is not required, unless the coach knows his best player needs to keep scoring. It does help that the 29-year-old does not exhaust much energy from his lack of running. But it does show that the Denver Nuggets need his stat-padding to survive.
Michael Malone needs to rethink Nikola Jokic’s usage
That stat-padding has led to a former player accusing the three-time MVP of throwing up empty stats. What would seem at first as a jab at the Serbian, could also bring the focus on his head coach Michael Malone. Long revered as one of the best coaches in the league, he built a reputation of building a cohesive unit.
But Nikola Jokic’s stat-padding suggests the cohesion is no longer there. Either it is him not having confidence on the bench, or it could be him not being able to get the best out of the rest of the starters. Either way, his coaching game, or lack of, is hurting the team.
As a coach, he is the one who has to help his young bench improve, and that comes with managing minutes on the floor. If they are not contributing, putting Jokic back into the game is not the answer. Not only does it place pressure on one player, but it also denies the bench a chance to get the ball.
The scars of last season’s playoffs might be fresh on Michael Malone’s mind. His desire to win might suggest he is desperate for that first-round bye. But with the way it is playing out now, he might as well rethink his stance before it gets too late. He cannot have an exhausted superstar leading his team in the playoffs.
