Final season, the Denver Nuggets didn’t repeat their 2023 championship efficiency.
The Denver Nuggets fell to the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder within the semi-finals of the seven-game Western Convention.
Although they are not dropping to the last word champion, the sequence uncovered key roster flaws.
The marketing campaign highlighted Denver’s overreliance on Nikola Jokic because the crew struggled to search out different scorers on non-Yokic minutes.
Final season, the Nuggets have been pressured to play a career-high 36.7 minutes per recreation with Jokic, creating issues about unsustainable workloads.
NBA journalist Rachel Nichols has sternly criticised Denver’s roster constructing after reviewing Jokic’s impression statistics.
“The off-off variety of Jokic and crew numbers final yr was a felony. I would prefer to know the place it suits in a spot the place it is off for a star,” defined Nichols.
“They usually’ll simply lose all of the video games to that extent.
The veteran journalist highlighted how extreme minutes affected Jokic’s efficiency all through the season.
Regardless of his distinctive common of 29.6 factors, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists per recreation, seen fatigue was revealed.
“He clearly performed nicely all through that seventh recreation, however this season we received to see him put on off every so often and put that epic season collectively.
Nichols believes the Nuggets have discovered an answer at veteran heart Jonas Valanciunas.
The addition of Valanciunas ought to considerably enhance Denver’s non-jo minutes subsequent season.
“I believe Valanciunas is attempting to raise that flooring a lot. He is not a celebrity in that class and positively older, however he is an grownup, he is large and I believe he’ll style higher these non-Yokin parts,” defined Nichols.
Valanciunas averaged 10.4 factors and seven.7 rebounds final season, taking part in 18.8 minutes per recreation for Washington and Sacramento.
His presence ought to alleviate bodily and psychological strain on jokes and assist the Nugget problem OKC at Western Convention.
“And I believe it will take some strain off him, each mentally and bodily, and he will be higher if it may be higher,” Nichols concluded.
