EmpireFalls wrote:Really bad week for the Jokic MVP case
I’m pretty firmly SGA right now until the Nuggets prove they can actually compete with good teams.
I disagree. anyone who has watched either of the last three games Bucks,Pistons, Celtics could easily see what Jokic has to work with and the huge drop-off when he's off the court too. even vs. the C's last night Jokic was +0 in +-, the Nuggets played the C's evenly with him on the court and they double and triple teamed Jokic (similarly to the Lakers game) daring anyone else to make plays and beat them and it was very tough to watch

meanwhile, OKC won last night with SGA not even leading his team in +- and with J-Dub going off in an elite 40 pts game. Nuggets just don't have that. imagine that the Nuggets just had Derrick White or even just Luke Kornet at backup C instead of the corpse of DAJ...
the difference in depth between the Nuggets and the top tier teams is considerable. it's not just further down the rotation btw, the issue is that MPJ and Murray are very incosistent, MPJ had the worst game of his career vs. the Bucks and it cost them the game, Murray had one great half vs. the C's but a horrid first half and they were already down 20 before he even made a bucket
the top tier teams don't have that issue, they have better and more consistent seconday and tertiary options AND considerably better options off the bench
vs. the Bucks Jokic was a -5 in a 9 pts loss, rest of the starters? Braun -12, Murray -13,AG -14, MPJ -20
my point is, we already know the Nuggets aren't on par as a team with the top teams in the league this isn't news to anybody except a few homers (but thats what homerism is, it's not unique to Nuggets homers

). it was never about is the gap 8 games or 12 games, so I don't think a couple of tough losses vs. the best teams in the league on their home floor makes alot of difference
no1 expected to the Nuggets to end a gruelling road trip beating the C's in Boston, playing WB and Zeke NNaji..let's be real here