Nuggets are still ELITE NBA title contender with Nikola Jokic despite recent struggles
Jason and Kevin O’Connor break down why they have the Denver Nuggets at No. 2 in their NBA title contender rankings, even with their recent struggles. They also discuss why this is the best team that Nikola Jokic has ever had around him with the rise of Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Peyton Watson, Cam Johnson, Christian Braun, and more.
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16 Comments
Mailbag: Hey Jason big fan of the show. Was wondering your thoughts on the Knicks ceiling, especially in regards to glaring flaws they present on the defensive end. Is there a world where they battle it out of the east and find a favorable matchup (anyone except OKC) in the finals? Thanks!
Denver has been horrible defensively all year. I can’t take poor defensive teams seriously, even if you think they can scale up in a playoff setting. Even with most of their roster it sucked. It is a Jokic issue inherently.
West still gotta worry about the new look Warriors . Laugh now , cry later 😂
I don’t understand how Nuggets …. Never got a rim protector behind Joker. Robert Williams would be way more impactful than JV
Nikola these days looks fat in black jersey…that's how you know he is way behind where he should be hehe.Has to drop 20 pounds before playoffs.
The Nuggets defensive EFFORT has been pretty bad. Jokic himself can just kind of coast and I think the team tends to follow his example
Jokic has looked horrible since coming back from injury
Missing AG and PWat makes the nuggets so much worse defensively
3 hurt starters took okc 7 games.
Nuggets in 5
In a series against okc they're gonna try to beat him up and it'll work if not everybody are healthy. Thinking about AG mostly, last series could've ended differently if he doesn't pull his hamstring.
The problem from when Jokic came back is that Spenser and PWat are out and they were the best defenders in AG absence, Jokic was in the best form ever when he got injured and he will need a month or two to get back on that level
Spencer Jones, AG, and PWat all out right now. Huge lack of size and defense on the team as a result.
Nuggets weak
Well said, but its hard for me to put much weight on Denver having a worse Defense or have the need to be more gimmicky against OKC. Adelman should be up for COTY and his adjustments LAST year were what caused the issues for the Thunder, so giving him the best Nuggets team in the Jokić era but also with some gloss over Defensive threats outside of AG and CB alongside Jok. Peyton Watson provides the elite rim protection and his numbers since the draft prove it. Cam Johnson provides the threat that Porter Jr. did in Denver only as a MUCH better defnder who can shuffle his feet and stay in front of guys where MPJ just didn't. JVal is the best backup big the Nuggets have had in the Jokić era and provides overall size, physicality and length at and around the rim to go along with great shooting from the post to even good at the 3pt line. Bruce Brown still has rhe Defensive chops that won him a title in Denver and it shows he's ready to repeat his performance especially after showing up only after Jamal this past summer like he did in '23. Tim Hardaway Jr. is exactly the 3&D player the nuggets needed on the bench or starting roles and his Defense is also overrated! You can even add a surprise in Zeke Nnaji to the list as he plays good D for his position and spot on the bench. Pickett is not the greatest Defender, but he can play alright as well. You can start talking Darron Holmes but the clear difference in the Nuggets Defensive ability and skillsets as opposed to last years limited and hurt team that took OKC to elimination at game 6, but ultimately as we know lost 6&7.
So whos to say that Denver will have to get as gimmicky as you might think with their clear improvements all around. It didn't hold for a few reasons, but they were top 3 in Defense and 3pt Defense before injuries robbed them of a historical Nuggets start. So under a year/off-season with Adelman and his staff and their willingness to adjust successfully while Jok was hurt to a different Defensive Scheme as you pointed out but will get back to their ways if they can get healthy over the break & into the playoffs & beyond!
Still think OKC's internal improvements and style after last year & an off-season as well, will be as good or even possibly better at beating what Denver threw at them especially SGA?
I think its going to be a spectacular WCF if we get it and Denver shocks everyone but the true belivers about their improvements not just becoming the NBA's best offense that has ever been statistically & visually but also shows their Defensive teeth and blows a lot of people away including OKC at just how much better they became Defensively as well proving last year as no fluke and forcing the Thunder to even be better at getting past Denver's D enough to keep up with the relentless scoring the Nuggets bring if OKC cannot slow them down enough to sorta equalize things.
Should be a fun rest of the season and playoffs!
#MileHighBasketball²⁶🏔 #MV3¹⁵ #BigHoney🍯
Jamaal Murray’s help defense is atrocious. He gets stuck in no man’s land and isn’t guarding anybody and continuously gives up wide-open three-pointers.
I watched every Jokić game the last 10 years! Jafal the merchant, made me a hater during that time! After 10 years in the NBA, he first time this year came in shape to start the season 😡🤮?!?!? He played 1,5 good Playoffrun's during that time, he got 0 good regular seasons, or accolades in 9 NBA seasons as the nr. 1/2 option!!!! He was competing with Nikola for the nr.1 spot until 2021/22 at least 😡🤮(what a stupid 🤡), he's injury prone, unprofessional, lazy, not that intelligent! Why should Nikola waste the leftover of his prime with somebody like Jabum27?!?!? Imagine Jokić with Fox, Maxey, Mitchell, SGA, Cunningham, Booker, or any other serious max player in the NBA 🤩 jabal is disappointing and Nikola's/ Denver's downfall! If you value Nikola or the Nuggets, you have to advocate for a bummal trade asap! Especially now, he's playing great, like a serious second option or a serious max guy 🤣 his trade value never ever gonna be higher, it's now or never 😡