Game 23 : Denver Nuggets (16-6) @ Charlotte Hornets (7-16)

[THE J0KER]

[MrPainfulTruth]

Jokic has been out right bad for several games. Is he injured? Whats going on there

[skywalker33]

Jokic has been out right bad for several games. Is he injured? Whats going on there

WTF ???? How is a 5-game average of 29.4ppg/11rpg/11apg/.8bpg come across to any NORMAL person as "bad" ??

Take out the Nuggets insignia off your profile, you are NOTHING but an uninformed, ignorant TROLL.

Now that I've got that off my chest, "Have a Nice Day"

[MrPainfulTruth]

Jokic has been out right bad for several games. Is he injured? Whats going on there

WTF ???? How is a 5-game average of 29.4ppg/11rpg/11apg/.8bpg come across to any NORMAL person as "bad" ??

Take out the Nuggets insignia off your profile, you are NOTHING but an uninformed, ignorant TROLL.

Now that I've got that off my chest, "Have a Nice Day"

You are a stat sheet expert. If you were a real fan of Nikola and the Nuggets you wouldnt be in denial like that. They struggled to compete in several games they were supposed to easily win, even against tanking teams. To pretend these are the Nuggets we learned to love is just childish.

Something is wrong with Jokic, its obvious.

[NuggetsWY]

Jokic has been out right bad for several games. Is he injured? Whats going on there

WTF ???? How is a 5-game average of 29.4ppg/11rpg/11apg/.8bpg come across to any NORMAL person as "bad" ??

Take out the Nuggets insignia off your profile, you are NOTHING but an uninformed, ignorant TROLL.

Now that I've got that off my chest, "Have a Nice Day"

You are a stat sheet expert. If you were a real fan of Nikola and the Nuggets you wouldnt be in denial like that. They struggled to compete in several games they were supposed to easily win, even against tanking teams. To pretend these are the Nuggets we learned to love is just childish.

Something is wrong with Jokic, its obvious.

Right now, Jokic is the odds-on favorite to win MVP is playing "out right bad"?
You definitely seem to be trying to live up to being "MrPainfulTruth" -- except for the "truth" part of your name.

[NuggetsWY]

[quote="NuggetsWY"]So sorry, I have no idea how all of these posts are bring made.

[THE J0KER]

Jokic has been out right bad for several games. Is he injured? Whats going on there

WTF ???? How is a 5-game average of 29.4ppg/11rpg/11apg/.8bpg come across to any NORMAL person as "bad" ??

Take out the Nuggets insignia off your profile, you are NOTHING but an uninformed, ignorant TROLL.

Now that I've got that off my chest, "Have a Nice Day"

You are a stat sheet expert. If you were a real fan of Nikola and the Nuggets you wouldnt be in denial like that. They struggled to compete in several games they were supposed to easily win, even against tanking teams. To pretend these are the Nuggets we learned to love is just childish.

Something is wrong with Jokic, its obvious.

Mr. MrPainfulTruth,
I’m addressing you now not as a regular poster, but as a moderator of the Nuggets subforum. At this point, the problem is no longer just what you’re posting, but how you’re posting overall. As a new member of this forum, you were given some leeway at the start, as we usually assume that new users will gradually adjust to the general culture and norms. In your case, however, things have only gotten worse.

For now, I’ll assume this is due to inexperience — either as a forum user or as a Nuggets/NBA fan in general — and I’ll explain what exactly is the issue. But if it turns out that you’re here with bad intentions or with some personal frustration toward this franchise, that can and will be handled very easily.

If you’re new to sports forums, you should know that while mocking a player — even after a 49-point game — does unfortunately happen online, it is never done inside a team’s own fan subforum, especially not repeatedly and during game threads. That’s exactly why the GENERAL forum exists: for hot takes, trolling, harsh criticism, and wild claims.

The Nuggets subforum is of course open to criticism as well — but there is a season discussion thread where concerns about form, regression, or career direction belong. Repeating the same negative narrative after every single game in individual game threads is not how this place works.

And if you’re truly new to following the NBA or the Nuggets, you shouldn’t be surprised that your constant criticism of Jamal Murray was mostly ignored here (apart from skywalker33, who can't resist). What is surprising is that during the very same week the same Murray was named Western Conference Player of the Week, you shifted your attacks to Nikola Jokić, who is currently playing the best basketball of his career — historically elite, as a 3-time MVP.

Anyone who has followed this team for years, especially during this championship-era core, knows that both Murray and Jokić traditionally start seasons slowly and build form as the months go on.

Murray is literally nicknamed “Playoff Murray” for a reason. He peaks in the spring. That’s why, despite several legendary playoff runs that most All-Stars could only dream of, he was never a regular-season All-Star. And let’s not forget: after a historic championship run, he suffered a torn ACL and multiple serious injuries. At one point, many of us feared his career might be permanently derailed. Compared to his case from December 2023 or 2024, what we’re seeing now is a huge relief for this fanbase.

As for Jokic — historically speaking, November is statistically his weakest month:
• 19.5 PPG compared to 22+ in almost every other month
• 9.9 RPG compared to his usual 11+
• 6.7 APG — his worst assist month of the season
Yet this November, he put up 32 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 11 assists per game. And you’re still not satisfied?

Regarding the 17–6 start, that record is not just “good” — it’s excellent, considering we lost our long-time #3 talent MPJ, and frequently played without two starters. On top of that, CJ had a rough system adjustment early on, though to his credit he’s clearly improving in December. A short-rotation team missing two starters has to manage energy carefully. That’s why we can beat strong West contenders like Houston or Minnesota on the road — and also lose close games to tanking teams. Personally, I even stopped doing game previews while Gordon and Braun are injured, because at this point, opponent strength becomes secondary to what our chances of winning a particular game.

Bottom line:
If you do not adjust your posting behavior to the standard RealGM team-subforum norms, you will be treated as a troll who deliberately provokes genuine Nuggets fans. If you do adjust, you are welcome.

[MrPainfulTruth]

WTF ???? How is a 5-game average of 29.4ppg/11rpg/11apg/.8bpg come across to any NORMAL person as "bad" ??

Take out the Nuggets insignia off your profile, you are NOTHING but an uninformed, ignorant TROLL.

Now that I've got that off my chest, "Have a Nice Day"

You are a stat sheet expert. If you were a real fan of Nikola and the Nuggets you wouldnt be in denial like that. They struggled to compete in several games they were supposed to easily win, even against tanking teams. To pretend these are the Nuggets we learned to love is just childish.

Something is wrong with Jokic, its obvious.

Mr. MrPainfulTruth,
I’m addressing you now not as a regular poster, but as a moderator of the Nuggets subforum. At this point, the problem is no longer just what you’re posting, but how you’re posting overall. As a new member of this forum, you were given some leeway at the start, as we usually assume that new users will gradually adjust to the general culture and norms. In your case, however, things have only gotten worse.

For now, I’ll assume this is due to inexperience — either as a forum user or as a Nuggets/NBA fan in general — and I’ll explain what exactly is the issue. But if it turns out that you’re here with bad intentions or with some personal frustration toward this franchise, that can and will be handled very easily.

If you’re new to sports forums, you should know that while mocking a player — even after a 49-point game — does unfortunately happen online, it is never done inside a team’s own fan subforum, especially not repeatedly and during game threads. That’s exactly why the GENERAL forum exists: for hot takes, trolling, harsh criticism, and wild claims.

The Nuggets subforum is of course open to criticism as well — but there is a season discussion thread where concerns about form, regression, or career direction belong. Repeating the same negative narrative after every single game in individual game threads is not how this place works.

And if you’re truly new to following the NBA or the Nuggets, you shouldn’t be surprised that your constant criticism of Jamal Murray was mostly ignored here (apart from skywalker33, who can't resist). What is surprising is that during the very same week the same Murray was named Western Conference Player of the Week, you shifted your attacks to Nikola Jokić, who is currently playing the best basketball of his career — historically elite, as a 3-time MVP.

Anyone who has followed this team for years, especially during this championship-era core, knows that both Murray and Jokić traditionally start seasons slowly and build form as the months go on.

Murray is literally nicknamed “Playoff Murray” for a reason. He peaks in the spring. That’s why, despite several legendary playoff runs that most All-Stars could only dream of, he was never a regular-season All-Star. And let’s not forget: after a historic championship run, he suffered a torn ACL and multiple serious injuries. At one point, many of us feared his career might be permanently derailed. Compared to his case from December 2023 or 2024, what we’re seeing now is a huge relief for this fanbase.

As for Jokic — historically speaking, November is statistically his weakest month:
• 19.5 PPG compared to 22+ in almost every other month
• 9.9 RPG compared to his usual 11+
• 6.7 APG — his worst assist month of the season
Yet this November, he put up 32 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 11 assists per game. And you’re still not satisfied?

Regarding the 17–6 start, that record is not just “good” — it’s excellent, considering we lost our long-time #3 talent MPJ, and frequently played without two starters. On top of that, CJ had a rough system adjustment early on, though to his credit he’s clearly improving in December. A short-rotation team missing two starters has to manage energy carefully. That’s why we can beat strong West contenders like Houston or Minnesota on the road — and also lose close games to tanking teams. Personally, I even stopped doing game previews while Gordon and Braun are injured, because at this point, opponent strength becomes secondary to what our chances of winning a particular game.

Bottom line:
If you do not adjust your posting behavior to the standard RealGM team-subforum norms, you will be treated as a troll who deliberately provokes genuine Nuggets fans. If you do adjust, you are welcome.

This frankly is an embarrassing post. No i am not new to internet forums and i certainly am not a "new" Nuggets fan as i have been following since AI moved to Denver, and closely since the emergence of the Joker.

For years i have pointed out that MPJ and Murray are the biggest issues on this roster. Not as players per se but in relation to their monstrous contracts. I believe i see things different than pure fan based people and sometimes its hard to bring a message over when people dont understand that winning contribution isnt measured in basic boxscore numbers. However, i did not insult anyone until the same person insulted me multiple times - remarkably without any comment from your side, Joker. How is that normal on "internet forums"?

I understand you want a group here that does not really want to understand and critically discuss how to improve, in game and roster wide. Probably misunderstanding on my side. I am not interested in pure glazing. Have a nice day.

[NuggetsWY]

<snip>
This frankly is an embarrassing post. No i am not new to internet forums and i certainly am not a "new" Nuggets fan as i have been following since AI moved to Denver, and closely since the emergence of the Joker.

For years i have pointed out that MPJ and Murray are the biggest issues on this roster. Not as players per se but in relation to their monstrous contracts. I believe i see things different than pure fan based people and sometimes its hard to bring a message over when people dont understand that winning contribution isnt measured in basic boxscore numbers. However, i did not insult anyone until the same person insulted me multiple times - remarkably without any comment from your side, Joker. How is that normal on "internet forums"?

I understand you want a group here that does not really want to understand and critically discuss how to improve, in game and roster wide. Probably misunderstanding on my side. I am not interested in pure glazing. Have a nice day.

While my health limits my ability to watch games and be involved in the forum; clearly I am familiar with the most common long-time posters on this forum. That does not include yourself, but it does include those involved in this discussion.

We do not object to people who have complaints over various players; each of us have complained about players in the past -- and each of us have disagreed with each other. However, when complaints are incessant and contradicted by clear and obvious evidence, those complaints become tiresome.

Just considering Jokic: your complaints are totally ridiculous and wearisome.
Basketball reference ranks him as most likely to be MVP, by a large margin.
Basketball reference ranks him as having the highest value over replacement, by a large margin.
Obviously, Jokic has the most triple doubles, more than double second place, when looking at this season.
He also leads the league in total defensive rebounds as well as total rebounds.
That includes most rebounds per game -- defensive and total rebounds.
He has the highest player efficiency rating.
He also leads the league in assist percentage.

Feel free to look at other categories on other websites. You will find the same ratings and perhaps others that all demonstrate Jokic is arguably the most valuable player in the league this year -- and if not the most valuable player; nobody can consider him as not in the running for that respect.

To complain about his playing is totally ridiculous. As Skywalker pointed out, Jokic is typically slow to build his statistics. I do not like that but I understand why he does it. IMO he is trying to help other players find their place on the team. If, as Skywalker pointed out, Jokic is slow to start building his statistics and he has already accumulated the statistics I quoted above; all I have to say is "Look out NBA! Jokic is going to get better."

I think it only right to also point out that he receives a great many double teams -- those are meant to hinder his statistics (i.e. influencing the game). Plus, I will also point out that in my opinion he has more "WOW! Look at that!" moments on Youtube and TV shows which play "Top plays".

I apologize for my lengthy post. But I wanted to make sure everyone understands what is happening here and why it is happening.