This Will Unlock Jokic’s Final Form

This Will Unlock Jokic’s Final Form

Not that long ago, the Denver Nuggets were on what seemed like the verge of collapse. They had just fired their GM Calvin Booth and head coach Michael Malone. And Nicole, well, he was once again doing absolutely everything despite their depth issues. The Joker dragged his team through seven game wars while playing 40 plus minutes a night, but that wasn’t enough. Good news is the new front office isn’t messing around this off season. Let’s break down how they’re making sure that another year of Yokic’s prime isn’t wasted. In just a few days, Denver traded MPJ, signed Cam Johnson, brought back Bruce Brown, added Tim Hardaway Jr., used their mid-level exception smartly, and finally got Joic a backup center he might actually trust, Giannis Volenunus. And I’m not just saying that because I’m Lithuanian. I have followed his entire career and I can confidently say this. He’s built for a role like this. In the 2024-25 season, Denver had the worst bench scoring in the league at just 26.4 points per game. Their second unit had no identity, limited scoring, and questionable structure. Even worse, the onoff numbers with Jokic were historically bad. When Joic was on the court, Denver had a 129 offensive rating. When he sat, it dropped to 103. That’s a swing of 26. For reference, the league average is around 115. That means they went from elite to barely watchable the moment Joic sat down. This has been a running issue for years. You had DeAndre Jordan, Thomas Bryant, Zeke Naji. None of them could fill that backup role. They were either unplayable in the playoffs or just didn’t fit what Denver needed. And what Denver needed wasn’t a bounty rim runner. It was someone who could stabilize the offense, keep the system in place, and give Joic a breather without ruining those minutes. Enter Giannis. Even in a smaller role last season, split between the Wizards and Kings, Valentunas averaged 10 points and seven rebounds in just 20 minutes a game. He shot over 54% from the field, still punished switches, and quickly ranked as one of the most effective low post players per possession. His8 points per post up might not sound crazy, but for a backup big, that’s reliable offense. Also, in the second half of his career, he has developed a three-pointer, which doesn’t allow opponent centers to drop too low, so he’s a bit of a threat. More importantly, Giannis isn’t one of those bigs that kills the ball movement. He knows very well how to operate within a structure. His game is built around handoffs, high post actions, and screening. Definitely not a flashy player, but he’s a solid big man you can trust. He knows how to move the ball, can find cutters sometimes, and play with a motionheavy system. When Yic goes out, they don’t need to change everything. They just need to survive. And I think Giannis will allow them to do that. Before I continue, are you sure you want to keep watching this while unsubscribed? Maybe you do. Actually, that might have been a bit stupid, but hey, just subscribe, man. Just be a part of the outside the NBA family and hear more NBA takes through our overseas understanding. Now back to the video. JV is also one of the best screeners by impact. He’s been top 10 in screen assist per 36 minutes multiple times in his career. Well, is not just setting picks. He’s creating real space. I’m sure if you did a poll asking all current NBA players who sets the hardest screens right now, Giannis’s name would be in the top five for sure. And in Denver system, that opens up clean looks for cutters or pick and pops with the guards. It’s subtle stuff, but it’s what turns a broken possession into a bucket. And this is where I can speak from a more personal angle. As someone who’s been following Giannis’ career from his pro debut in 2010 to the NBA days to the Lithuanian national team days, there’s one thing I can tell you for sure. There’s a lot of pride in Giannis. From his youth days, he was winning and that’s all he wants to do, win and play meaningful minutes. This is a guy who’s been disrespected multiple times. He was pushed out of Toronto just before their title run, underused in New Orleans, and pushed into a rookie shadow in Washington, but he never complains, at least publicly, and just works in the situation he’s in. I visited him this past January and let me tell you, the frustration of playing limited minutes for a tanking team was so obvious even though he didn’t want to show it. I mean, just look at how he was sitting on the bench while his team was absolutely dominated by the Bulls. So, for this Denver team where they actually need his skills on the court and are striving to win, Giannis is a gem. You could see some similarities in how JB was a backup to Dominus Sabonis in Sacramento this year. Sabonis, who plays 35 minutes a night and is an offensive hub from the center spot. Actually, that Lithuanian tower duo had many summers together on the national team, and there were always the issues of spacing. Sure, both guys can hit an occasional three, but it’s not something you rely on. That’s why I think Jokic is without a doubt a better companion than Sabonis, especially seeing how much Jokic expanded his three-point game this past season. In fact, Joic doubled his attempts and makes and managed to shoot at a career-high 41.7%. That means there might even be lineups where Yiannis and Joic actually share some minutes on short stretches, which is similar to the very successful Rockets’ lineup of Shenun and Adams. Of course, defense is the weak spot. Giannis isn’t a switch guy, and he mostly plays drop coverage. In today’s NBA, that is often a liability that gets exploited heavily. It’s also partially the reason why JV’s role and minutes have been going down as seasons go. But the good news is Denver already uses drop with Jokic. So the scheme doesn’t have to change that much. And Giannis, while slower footed, is a smart player. He positions well, boxes out like crazy, and doesn’t make a lot of mental mistakes. For 15 to 20 minutes a night, that’s more than enough. But of course, Giannis Valentunas isn’t even the most important piece here. Cam Johnson is. At first glance, moving off MPJ feels risky. He’s younger, taller, and a better rebounder. But if you actually start looking at the numbers, especially the advanced ones, Cam is a much more reliable fit. Last season, Cam Johnson averaged 1.26 points per possession on catch and shoots compared to 121 from MPJ. On offscreen, Scam was 1.08 while MPJ was 0.97. Those differences seem small, but in a yokish system where shooters get a lot of open looks, they matter. And also, one thing we’ve seen in both Brooklyn and Phoenix is that unlike MPJ, Cam Johnson does not shrink in the playoffs. He moves without the ball, hits timely shots, and doesn’t need 15 touches to be effective, which is crucial on a Jokicled team. You want guys who don’t break the rhythm when it matters most. Cam also defends better. He’s more mobile on the perimeter, better at fighting through screens, and less prone to defensive lapses. I’m not saying he’s an elite defender, but he doesn’t have to be. He just needs to not be a target, and compared to MPJ, that’s already an upgrade. There’s also the money. MPJ was on a near max deal, and CAM is making about 21 million per year. So, there’s about a difference of 15 million. Those savings allow Denver to do something they couldn’t in years. Build out the bench. Tim Hardaway Jr. is a microwave scorer. He’s tricky, I know, but when he’s on, he’s actually deadly. Last season, he hit 63% of his open spot up threes. Nah, that’s not a typo, by the way. And for a second unit that struggled to generate and convert clean looks, that’s a game changer. Bruce Brown, meanwhile, is the glue guy. He was a massive part of that Denver’s 2023 championship team. He defends, runs the break, finishes in transition, and gives the Nuggets another ball handler. Getting him back on a minimum deal might be the steal of the summer. Suddenly, Denver’s second unit has an identity. JV at the five, THJ and Bruce Brown at the wings. Then you got the young guys like Payton Watson and Julian Strater filling in the gaps. I think that group can actually hold leads and not just tread water or totally collapse like they did this season. And here’s the bigger context. This is how championship teams are built. Now, look at the Thunder. Look at the Pacers. These are the teams that made it into the NBA finals, not because they had the most stars, but because they had the most complete rotations. Depth matters more than ever, and you can’t afford to have eight dead minutes every game because your MVP is sitting. That’s how you lose a playoff series. And Denver finally learned that lesson. And to their credit, they fixed it fast. So, props to the new front office. Actually, Josh Cranky, you cooked here. Ben Tenzer and John Wallace came in and immediately reshaped the team. They dumped a max contract without giving up picks. They brought back a key piece in Bruce Brown. They balanced the books while adding talent. And they finally got a legit Jokic backup, something that the previous management never really managed to do. And what I love the most is that this front office actually understands timing because Joic is 30 right now. He has played more minutes than most centers his age. You have a 2 to threeyear window where the wear and tear starts to show and you can’t waste it by running him into the ground. Now he will not have to do everything himself. Of course, there’s going to be still a huge load, but at least now this off season seems very, very promising and I’m excited. But here’s where I would like to see what you think. Did Denver just solve their biggest issue? And is Giannis Vonunes the right guy for this backup role? Also, do you think this new look Nuggets team is ready to make another title run next year? Drop those thoughts in the comments below. As always, don’t forget to hit the like button if you enjoyed this video and subscribe for more NBA takes through an overseas lens.

The Nuggets finally fixed their biggest problem — depth. With Jonas Valanciunas backing up Nikola Jokic, Cam Johnson replacing Michael Porter Jr, and Bruce Brown + Tim Hardaway Jr bolstering the bench, Denver just got a whole lot scarier. Here’s why this might unlock the Joker’s final form.

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