NBA Champs in Trouble: Nuggets Feel the Heat Without Jokic

NBA Champs in Trouble: Nuggets Feel the Heat Without Jokic

Sometimes, when a team has a talismanic presence on the side, it can stretch them above and beyond their regular capabilities. And it is proving so in the case of the Denver Nuggets, who were without their cornerstone presence Nikola Jokić for several games. Nuggets have seen results seriously suffer without their star player. Worse still, their form hasn’t greatly improved since his return — a massive 27-point loss against the Knicks where they conceded 145 points was the largest deficit of the season so far. 

It may be too soon to say the Nuggets are in protracted trouble, but can the champs get back to winning ways soon? And is there anything else besides Jokić’s absence behind their dip? Let’s take a look. 

Nuggets without Jokić 

There’s no doubt that Jokić has an electrifying effect on the Nuggets when they play. It’s the type of player he is — big, powerful, skillful, team player, and able to switch from attack to defense in a heartbeat. Basically, the attributes you’d expect from a three-time NBA MVP. But none could have foreseen how badly the Nuggets would be exposed without him on the court. Back-to-back defeats against a New Orleans Pelicans side they really should have beaten, and a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies (although they did bounce back to victory in the second game) signaled a mini-crisis among the ranks. 

Denver looked lost without the big Serb, ponderous in attack and lethargic in defense. An interesting statistic pointed out by courtside reporter Jeremy Taché: the best offensive rating in a single season in NBA history was 123.2. The Nuggets, led by Jokić, rated at 125.8. The worst offensive rating in the NBA to date is 92.2. Without Jokić, the Nuggets rate at 86.6. Pretty telling that they can go from best to worst with the omission of a single player!

So, what’s the problem?

It’s strange that such a dip has occurred, since the Nuggets are the defending champions, and one player alone does not win the NBA. But there may be suggestions that Denver doesn’t have the strength and depth of other championship squads, and the latest odds reflect the loss of confidence the bookmakers have in them.

That’s not to say the Nuggets don’t have great players, they do, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr, to name but two. But sometimes even great players need the galvanizing impact of a talisman to get their tails up and reach their full potential. Think of it as a ship that’s lost its rudder, however sturdy a vessel it is, it just can’t get anywhere. 

Perhaps we got used to the high bar Denver had set for themselves, and this dip is just one of those things that happens from time to time. But whatever the reasons, the NBA is notoriously unforgiving, and to have any chance of retaining their title, the Nuggets are going to have to find form again, and fast. 

Jokić Returns

Jokić is back now, having cited ‘personal reasons’ for his seemingly costly absence. He’s a man who has always put his family above everything, stating “Basketball is not the main thing in my life, and probably never going to be. And to be honest, I look at it because I have something more at home [family] that is more important than basketball” in an interview last year. It’s since been revealed that his wife Natalija gave birth to their baby son during his time off. 

His return hasn’t coincided with a return to winning ways, however, as the Nuggets lost a crucial match against the Dallas Mavericks before their humbling by the New York Knicks. To his credit, Jokić didn’t offer any excuses in either instance, citing the improved performance of the Mavericks and the trend the Knicks, Clippers, Cavaliers, and Wizards seem to have for beating the Nuggets. And in the loss to Knicks case, he alluded to what needs to be a harsh wake-up call for Denver. In the post-match press conference, he stated “It’s always good to get punched in the face and just to wake up.”

Disappointing results, a loss of momentum, and a seeming loss of energy too — Jokić’s time away from the Nuggets seems to have had a disastrous impact on the team. But now the incumbent MVP is back, and it’ll be interesting to watch how Denver goes about turning the tide. 

Click Here for more NBA Content

Subscribe to Vendetta’s Twitch

Subscribe to Vendetta’s YouTube

Check out Vendetta Fantasy Contests