Denver reporter: Nuggets may need to break up the team

[BelgradeNugget]

Unfortunately, as good as Jokic is, I think odds are he never wins another championship or MVP 2025 and onward (unless he moved to a big market team or a marketable superstar joined him). This is probably his last bench chance. With most of the fans american and 30% black, a guy like Anthony Edwards is much more marketable, and I can't see the league allowing Jokic to be the face of the league too much longer.

With selective prison ball reffing the NBA can draw up exactly how it wants a Denver Minny series to go. (Just look at all the blow out games)

As it pertains to this thread, the current squad isn't going to get it done in the future. The league will be doing what it can to nudge results against the Nuggets. So as a team they will have to be markedly better to have a realistic shot.

I don't belive it will happen, but if so it could backfire to the NBA. In the past european players used to come in the NBA to see where they are among the best. Now Jokic, Giannis, Luka, Wemby are dominating the league. Gobert is the best defender for quite some time. What if they get pissed over their tretmen in the NBA and folks from UAE decide to invest a lot of money in Euroleague.
With 5 players mantioned above, you have KP, Markkanen, F Wagner, Sabas... More and more young draft prospect are from Europe. NBA american superstars are older and older. If money is right maybe some players from Africa and Australia could stay in Euroligue instead going to NBA as many did.

They are not in the league because they love american lifestyle. So, some good investment here and there, maybe they can attract some money from China too. Just a reminder Jokic has a shoe deal with Chinese brand 361 because no western shoe company offered him deal.

NBA should reconsider it's goals for the future, anything could happen.

[HotRocks34]

Unfortunately, as good as Jokic is, I think odds are he never wins another championship or MVP 2025 and onward

Ant's stats (of course Jokic would compete against others besides Ant) this past season (25/5/5, 19.7 PER, .130 WS48, 3.3 BPM, etc) aren't typical MVP-level stats. That's why he wasn't in the top 10 of BBREF candidates and why he finished 7th in the actual vote.

Of course, if Minny beats Denver and makes like the Finals then that would boost Ant a ton. And he's only improving.

Still, I think that the voters are going to be hesitant to give a MVP-DRose-level-stats person the nod. In Rose's winning season he was 25/4/7, 23.5 PER, .208 WS48 and 6.8 BPM. Those stats are better than Ant's but still quite weak for recent MVP winners.

One impediment for Jokic winning more MVPs going forward is Murray. People say Jokic has never been on a dominant (60+ win) regular season team and the burden of that falls on Mal because Murray tends to be out of shape in the regular season (think Shaq, Fat Luka) and then plays himself into shape for the playoffs.

That might work for Murray but it doesn't help team wins or playoff seeding. But, for now, Jokic is stuck with it. And I'm sure he can relate to it because he used to be in less-than-ideal shape himself until he got serious a few years ago.

[Special_Puppy]

If the Nuggets trade everyone but Jokic+AG this off-season I'm not even sure it'd be a bad move

[MelTurpin]

The only question the Nuggets will have at the end of the season will involve KCP. First will he opt out, that's likely. How much of a raise will he demand in the offseason? Can't the Nuggets afford to bring him back?

Otherwise, little change is expected.

The fanbase should be putting a lot of pressure on the Nuggets to keep KCP (at anything 20m or less.) Have you seen the ticket prices this playoffs? A lot of money sloshing around Denver when a team is loved like this one is. They can afford it.

[Infinite Llamas]

Problem is, guys like MPJ/Murray/Gordon/Braun have been somewhat exposed as products of Jokic’s system. We saw the dip that Brown took. Look at guys like Barton and Gary Harris too. There can’t be huge demand for these guys because when Jokic isn’t around, they simply look lost. I find it hard to believe that any team would make great offers for these guys knowing the player they get back will most likely suffer from diminished returns.

[Lalouie]

how long can i hold out for mpj?

he's 6'10" and he moves like he's 6'5. there no one his size who moves as well. if he's on, FORGET IT. the opposition is toast. if he only was complete, but he's a year from having won a ring and i have to say i'm disappointed

for some reason i'm thinking he spends half the year in cancun

[Lalouie]

Problem is, guys like MPJ/Murray/Gordon/Braun have been somewhat exposed as products of Jokic’s system. We saw the dip that Brown took. Look at guys like Barton and Gary Harris too. There can’t be huge demand for these guys because when Jokic isn’t around, they simply look lost. I find it hard to believe that any team would make great offers for these guys knowing the player they get back will most likely suffer from diminished returns.

correct...
but the thing is they have such an amassing of goodies you'd think odds are that individually and collectively it should not be this way. like there should be at least three guys having a great game all the time

maybe they're not millenium great or even decade great. maybe they're just really good in an age of parity

[AleksandarN]

They need reinforcements. Reggie is not cutting it. I am sure BB would comeback given the opportunity. Plus having Peyton and CB improving next year. I still think the bench will be great

Read on Twitter

[EmpireFalls]

They desperately need some rim pressure and an additional screen setter. It’s so obvious to me.

[HotRocks34]

Here's the summary. Re-post from the game thread.
....................................


NBA Efficiency data for Game 7 (higher number better):

DENVER

Jokic....42 in 47 minutes
Murray..23 in 43
KCP.......14 in 40
No one else in double units


MINNY

Towns.........31 in 39 minutes
McDaniels...31 in 40 minutes
Gobert.........17 in 36
Conley.........16 in 39
Reid.............15 in 22
Edwards......14 in 44
No one else in double units



So, Jokic was the dominant figure for the game but more Minny players joined the party and Denver's Others outside of Murray and KCP didn't show up.

Murray was dead from fatigue in the second half IMO.

Booth has to examine this. Issues are clear, and not new.
..................................


I think the main issue in Game 7 was fatigue.

But the depth/Others issue is real, and must be addressed.

Booth has work to do. Tonight was a big wakeup call.

[Lalouie]

nawwwww

they only need to get rid of the ones who shoot 3s when they're 17points ahead

analytics strikes again

[HotRocks34]

nawwwww

they only need to get rid of the ones who shoot 3s when they're 17points ahead

analytics strikes again

They made some poor choices.

I think fatigue got them. It definitely got Murray in the second half.

[scrabbarista]

Here's the summary. Re-post from the game thread.
....................................


NBA Efficiency data for Game 7 (higher number better):

DENVER

Jokic....42 in 47 minutes
Murray..23 in 43
KCP.......14 in 40
No one else in double units


MINNY

Towns.........31 in 39 minutes
McDaniels...31 in 40 minutes
Gobert.........17 in 36
Conley.........16 in 39
Reid.............15 in 22
Edwards......14 in 44
No one else in double units



So, Jokic was the dominant figure for the game but more Minny players joined the party and Denver's Others outside of Murray and KCP didn't show up.

Murray was dead from fatigue in the second half IMO.

Booth has to examine this. Issues are clear, and not new.
..................................


I think the main issue in Game 7 was fatigue.

But the depth/Others issue is real, and must be addressed.

Booth has work to do. Tonight was a big wakeup call.

Agree 100%.

[HotRocks34]

Agree 100%.

I think what happened is very clear.

It almost worked, too. But the lack of depth and fatigue finally caught up with them.

With Brown and Green they win this series and imo another ring.

The issues are fixable IMO. I feel better about that than I did after Game 2.

[Synciere]

Hot take central. How about we wait until this series is over before making these proclamations?

If the Nuggets turn around and evened the series at 2-2 there would probably be someone out there claiming the Wolves need to blow it up.

It’s not that they lost, it’s how they’ve been losing. Handily. With ease. At home. The second game without the league’s DPOY. Nope, downplaying won’t work here.

Well well well

Yep.

[Memories]

Losing Bruce Brown and other key role players hurt them tremendously. Their bench was almost non-existent.

[Ssj16]

I think Denver does some small retooling and they will be fine with Jokic in their prime.

[ChuckChilly]

Bench please

[Mr.Raptorsingh]

Just need to add some depth and they'll be fine

[JustBuzzin]

We have a weak draft.

Any chance the Nuggets can get a lottery team to trade that pick for MPJ?

Detroit makes sense. They can't attract talent why not trade for MPJ he's still young enough to be a building block for a young Detroit team.