What in the Hell Can the Nuggets Do?

[Woodsanity]

Basically, this suggests that Denver's starting 5 is fine, but that they have no depth and that their bench guys aren't even NBA players. Whenever their bench guys come in, their performance plummets.

not really, if you dig a bit deeper you'll notice an interesting trend.
basically everyone in the roster looks at least ok when playing with Jokic, absolutely awful without him.
and this has been the same, over and over, for too many years. even when they won the title.
I think the coach deserves to b held accountable for that, is he putting his guys in position to succeed or he's just riding the greatness of his best player?

Or the players the Nuggets bring in just aren't good. Look at the garbage rosters assembled in the past. Most of those role players Jokic played with are out of the league....

[Wigginstime]

Basically, this suggests that Denver's starting 5 is fine, but that they have no depth and that their bench guys aren't even NBA players. Whenever their bench guys come in, their performance plummets.

not really, if you dig a bit deeper you'll notice an interesting trend.
basically everyone in the roster looks at least ok when playing with Jokic, absolutely awful without him.
and this has been the same, over and over, for too many years. even when they won the title.
I think the coach deserves to b held accountable for that, is he putting his guys in position to succeed or he's just riding the greatness of his best player?

Or the players the Nuggets bring in just aren't good. Look at the garbage rosters assembled in the past. Most of those role players Jokic played with are out of the league....

Look at former Denver Nuggets Starters This Season:
Gary Harris: 4/2/2 PER 7.6
Bruce Brown: 10/3/4 PER 10.9
Kaldwell-Pope: 8/2/2 PER 9.4
Reggie Jackson: 4/2/1 PER 13.2
Will Barton: Out of League (age 32)

All 5 of these guys played major minutes on the prior Nuggets playoff teams. All 5 of these guys own Jokic a massive portion of their paycheck.

[BelgradeNugget]

not really, if you dig a bit deeper you'll notice an interesting trend.
basically everyone in the roster looks at least ok when playing with Jokic, absolutely awful without him.
and this has been the same, over and over, for too many years. even when they won the title.
I think the coach deserves to b held accountable for that, is he putting his guys in position to succeed or he's just riding the greatness of his best player?

Or the players the Nuggets bring in just aren't good. Look at the garbage rosters assembled in the past. Most of those role players Jokic played with are out of the league....

Look at former Denver Nuggets Starters This Season:
Gary Harris: 4/2/2 PER 7.6
Bruce Brown: 10/3/4 PER 10.9
Kaldwell-Pope: 8/2/2 PER 9.4
Reggie Jackson: 4/2/1 PER 13.2
Will Barton: Out of League (age 32)

All 5 of these guys played major minutes on the prior Nuggets playoff teams. All 5 of these guys own Jokic a massive portion of their paycheck.

Both things can be truth. Players that play with Jokic are way better with him on the Nuggets than on other teams. But for backup bigs - centers that don't play with Jokic it is exectly opposite. They are way better on other teams than on Nuggets. And that suggests coaching problem.

season 2020-21 Nuggets had Isaiah Hartenstein. For Malone he was unplayable. His stats in Denver and after trade in Cleveland
3.5/2.8/0.5 in 9 minutes per game in Denver
8.3/6.0/2.5 in 18 minutes in Cleveland

They traded him for JaVale McGee who lasted 13 games before he was benched for good

season 2022-23 Thomas Bryant
12.1/6.8/0.7 in 21 minutes with Lakers
4.6/3.3/0.1 in 11 minutes with Nuggets, unplayable in playoffs

Jay Huff
season 2023-24 with Nuggets 1.2/0.6/0.1 in 2.5 minutes, 20 games end of bench
season 2024-25 with Memphis 9.5/2.7/0.8 in 16 minutes, shooting 52/41/76

Dario Saric
season 2023-24 with GSW 8/4.4/2.3 shooting 47/38/85 in 17 minutes
season 2024-25 with Nuggets 3.4/3.5/1.1 shooting 30/26/83 in 14 minutes, end of bench after 10 games

Since Jokic's rookie season 2015-16 he was always in + in NETRTG

Other bigs

2015-16 Nurkic -0.6
2016-17 Nurkic -8.9, Plumlee -0.4
2017-18 Plumlee -0.7
2018-19 Plumlee + 3.2
2019-20 Plumlee -1.0
2020-21 Isaiah Hartenstein + 7.3 - traded from Malone's dog house, JaVale McGee + 4.6 - benched
2021-22 JaMychal Green - 3.5, DeMarcus Cousins -1.6
2022-23 DeAndre Jordan -8.4, Thomas Bryant -15.0, Jeff Green -8.0
2023-24 DeAndre Jordan -10.7, Zeke Nnaji -11.9, Jay Huff -7.9
2024-25 DeAndre Jordan -11.7, Dario Šarić -13.5

So, give me Nikola Jokic and I would be good coach too.

[Ryoga Hibiki]

Basically, this suggests that Denver's starting 5 is fine, but that they have no depth and that their bench guys aren't even NBA players. Whenever their bench guys come in, their performance plummets.

not really, if you dig a bit deeper you'll notice an interesting trend.
basically everyone in the roster looks at least ok when playing with Jokic, absolutely awful without him.
and this has been the same, over and over, for too many years. even when they won the title.
I think the coach deserves to b held accountable for that, is he putting his guys in position to succeed or he's just riding the greatness of his best player?

Or the players the Nuggets bring in just aren't good. Look at the garbage rosters assembled in the past. Most of those role players Jokic played with are out of the league....

it's probably a combination of both things.
my point is that you can't just give no blame to the coach.
he's responsible to develop his players and to prepare them so that they perform.
once you see the same trend going on and o for several years, he must be held accountable as well.

[MasterIchiro]

The only thing that can fix the Nuggets is a departure from their starting PG.

It's an expensive position.

They have to ID a breakout candidate.

[Ugly0598]

Lower their overhyped capitalistic ticket prices?

[shrink]

I think their greatest need now, and in the future, is a great point of attack defender. With Murray and Westbrook’s defensive liabilities, a great defender seems necessary. They have really never been the same without Bruce Brown and KCP. Worse, they can’t afford to spend a lot.

I have wondered if they are committed enough to this season to make an offer for Nickiel Alexander-Walker. He’s been the biggest bright spot for the Wolves in a mediocre season, leading the team in net rating. He’s shooting an unsustainable 46% 3P, but it’s his defense that continues to amaze. He has been the most consistent perimeter defender, (sorry McDaniels) which has him leading the team in +/-. All of the Wolves best five-man line ups have him, including one that’s at the 100th percentile.

The only problem for MIN is that while he’s 6-5, he’s mostly a SG, and the Wolves obviously have Ant and traded for DiVincenzo on a three year cheap deal. NAW makes $4.3, but he’s expiring, and there is a good chance MIN can’t afford to bring him back if another team wants to pay him to be a starter.

For MIN, trading NAW would definitely be a step back, and the team still needs time to determine what their future is this season after the Towns trade. Even more worrisome would be giving Denver the key to unlocking their rival, perhaps for several years if the Nuggets utilize NAW’s Bird rights. Wolves fans hate the idea of trading away their bright spot, but the GM in me says that trading an expiring player at a crowded position is worth exploring. However, the goal is to win, and regardless of the price, maybe MIN shouldn’t be throwing rival Denver a lifeline. Jokic is too good, so it might be better to let them drown.

[nomansland]

Right now it looks like plan A is to stick with what they have and hope for a lot of things, such as Murray getting back to 90% of what he was, Strawther and Watson continuing to improve, and being able to scratch out decent minutes from the rest of the roster.

Plan B would be more drastic but it would be trading MPJ. He's playing really well most nights and is the only tradeable big piece they have. Porter has hinted that he knows this.

Plan C would be firing Booth, changing their strategy away from trying to develop their young guys, and trying to get upgrades for Strawther, Braun and Watson.

I would love to see the ownership just take the L on the Nnaji and Pickett contracts and buy those guys out. Nnaji is never going to make it in Denver and nobody would even trade a 2nd for him (plus I don't think they can send out more money than they take in in a trade). Pickett looked ok, almost serviceable the past 2 games, but he's not a difference-maker. And it's a similar deal with Nnaji. Can't trade him. But of course, the owners aren't going to buy anyone out.

[1993Playoffs]

As a whole I don’t see the roster as good enough.

[TheFire]

Lay down and cry.

[JM00n69]

The roster lacks depth. Has for years now. Malone and Booth don't get along and Malone is the one working with a short roster end of the day. He does give players a chance and tries different rotations start of the season but the second rounders and borderline NBA vets that should be out the league are not good enough to give regular minutes on a second unit even in the RS, forget about the playoffs.

Leaving a very short roster that will play a ton of minutes and is easy to plan against. One injury and you're ****. It was a horrible decision to extend Jamal because he's still clearly hurt and a good chance he wont ever be able to give you same level of consistant play he did during the championship run.

Can't trade Murray until next year anyway now. MPJ is having his best season and they wont get a better haul for him. AG is also great this year and I can't see anyone else better than him in coming back in a trade.

Braun's stock is probably very high atm but again most GM will know it's because of playing with Jok. Also he'll never become an all star, best option is to keep him and hope he can play that role for 4-5 years.

[JM00n69]

They should look into a trade with NNaji for Jonas Valenciunas. WAS tanking anyway and contacts match but NNaji is slightly cheaper and younger.

WAS would want a sweetner probably.

[mikejames23]

The team is actually good, but Murray needs to go. If they swap Murray for a star like Markannen, they can get back to the top.

[wco81]

The team is actually good, but Murray needs to go. If they swap Murray for a star like Markannen, they can get back to the top.

No team is going to take his contract until he regains that form which got them the title.

And if he shoots like that again, a lot of the Nuggets problems go away. Not all but a lot of them.

[WiggOuts]

The only move that makes any sense is trading mpj and he doesn't have good value with his contract. They'd have to do a 2 for or 3 for 1 and hope Jokic turns the new guys into better players. They don't really have any other avenue

[JM00n69]

The only move that makes any sense is trading mpj and he doesn't have good value with his contract. They'd have to do a 2 for or 3 for 1 and hope Jokic turns the new guys into better players. They don't really have any other avenue

MPJ is having his best year and is 26. His contract is 36/38/40M from this year. He's been the second best player this yr. he's driving more and looking past just letting it rip as he catches. Plus always a threat at 3. great rebounder and when he tries on D he's great at rotating and challenging at the rim. He'll get better and that contract isn't bad now. 40m two yrs from now will be a good deal.

[WiggOuts]

The only move that makes any sense is trading mpj and he doesn't have good value with his contract. They'd have to do a 2 for or 3 for 1 and hope Jokic turns the new guys into better players. They don't really have any other avenue

MPJ is having his best year and is 26. His contract is 36/38/40M from this year. He's been the second best player this yr. he's driving more and looking past just letting it rip as he catches. Plus always a threat at 3. great rebounder and when he tries on D he's great at rotating and challenging at the rim. He'll get better and that contract isn't bad now. 40m two yrs from now will be a good deal.

Thats fair but they really don't have any other options. They need depth and no way to acquire it

[JM00n69]

The only move that makes any sense is trading mpj and he doesn't have good value with his contract. They'd have to do a 2 for or 3 for 1 and hope Jokic turns the new guys into better players. They don't really have any other avenue

MPJ is having his best year and is 26. His contract is 36/38/40M from this year. He's been the second best player this yr. he's driving more and looking past just letting it rip as he catches. Plus always a threat at 3. great rebounder and when he tries on D he's great at rotating and challenging at the rim. He'll get better and that contract isn't bad now. 40m two yrs from now will be a good deal.

Thats fair but they really don't have any other options. They need depth and no way to acquire it

Keeping him is a no brainer. what potential realistic trades would give a major boost this year or be a better return over the next 3 yrs while being as good at least?

[JM00n69]

Booth needs to go. Saric got a 2yr with PO fully guaranteed for next year. Another albatross

[mkot]

Lay down and cry.

At least they can wipe their tears with their banner