Nikola Jokic is trying to put the Denver Nuggets on his back, but the lack of a supportive cast slowed them down.
With three games still on the schedule, the Denver Nuggets could miss the postseason and have to compete through the play-in tournament. They have lost their final four games and are in a tough contest with the Sacramento Kings, Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets on schedule.
Denver had no Jamal Murray in his final five games, but it appears no one has stepped up in his place.
In a losing streak, Nicola Djokic averaged 45 points, 12.3 rebounds and 10.7 assists. He became the third player in NBA history to score a 60-point triple double, earning a double-time loss to the Minnesota Timber Wolves.
His personal greatness combined with the Nuggets’ team’s lack of success is hardly reminiscent of recent baseball stretches by the Los Angeles Angels.
From 2018-2022, the Angels boasted two best MLB players alive. With that range, Mike Trout made five All-Star games and won MVP, while Shohei Ohtani appeared as one of the best batsman and pitcher in the game, earning his own rookie of the year and two MVPs.
The Angels never made the postseason, never finished with more than 80 wins during that period, prompting one of the most famous sports social media posts of all time.
The Nuggets could make a postseason this year, but Nikola Jokic plays a balanced basketball that can only be compared to Otani’s efforts, and his long domination is similar to Trout.
There is one important difference, but Nikola Jokic shows the ring.
A four-game losing streak isn’t really comparable to five sub-MLB seasons, but the fact that jokicks, night and night out are doing everything they can to win the game without team support is creepy.
In the 2023 final, the Nuggets made the most of their lack of star power. Jokic was the only All-Star level player, but Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr. and Murray all perfectly fulfilled their roles.
During recent stretches, Denver was unable to rely on secondary and tertiary choices, causing free falls.
| player | ppg | RPG | APG | FG% | 3pt% |
| Jokich | 40.5 | 12.8 | 9.5 | 58.8% | 41.2% |
| Gordon | 14.0 | 4.5 | 5.5 | 53.1% | 38.5% |
| Porter Jr. | 19.3 | 6.3 | 3.3 | 56.4% | 34.8% |
| Westbrook | 16.0 | 5.6 | 5.2 | 44.6% | 28.6% |
| Brown | 20.0 | 7.8 | 3.5 | 64.2% | 42.9% |
The volume stats (points, rebounds, assists) are actually better than average thanks to injuries and rest, but with the exception of Christian Brown, shooting rates have become a lot more desirable, and Denver has struggled with early turnover in recent games.
Denver has played half a match than the final spot in the Play-In Tournament. If the current trend continues, they must make play-in and fight for the right to play against the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Houston Rocket in the first round.
Denver is .500 against both the Rockets and Thunder this season, but both of these teams have the depth to measure them in the 7-game series, unless Denver turns things around in the final week of the regular season.