’23 Nuggets: Replace Jokic w/ Peak Duncan

[Matt15]

Overall would the current Nuggets be better, same or worse with Peak Duncan replacing Jokic?

[kayess]

They'd be at the very least slightly worse. Obviously he improves their defense significantly, but the O is just going to suffer so much more greatly by comparison, despite how good Duncan is on that end. They live and die by Jokic; not a knock on Duncan, this team was just built with Jokic in mind

[Colbinii]

They would be worse--clearly worse. The entire offense is players with clear and exploitable weaknesses but Jokic makes it all work.

Jamal Murray isn't a lead playmaking guard, but he can score and shoot.
MPJ is a terrific shooter but he needs to be fed and set-up, you also don't want the offense running through him.
Aaron Gordon is a worse version of Shawn Marion.
KCP can score on the break, catch and shoot and cuts.

The overall issue here is you can't be a 105 offense 100 defense in today's NBA--it isn't really possible. Murray/MPJ aren't good enough defenders, even with Duncan, to generate a massive advantage defensively like those early 2000's spurs were built on.

This doesn't mean Duncan is worse era-to-era than Jokic, but Jokic is more valuable in today's NBA and specifically with this Nuggets team.

[TheGOATRises007]

Honestly for this particular Nuggets team, Jokic is the perfect center.

[CodeBreaker]

Duncan would make them worse. Doesn't mean he's a worse player than Jokic.

[AMW27]

Duncan won a title with a worse cast than this one.