Nikola Jokic is right: the Denver Nuggets need changes

It was a grim exit from the NBA Playoffs for the Denver Nuggets. Nikola Jokic knew it too. While he urged against panic, the greatest player in the game today said change is needed. That’s easy to say but making it happen, necessary as it is, won’t be easy, writes Emmet Ryan.

The Denver Nuggets crashed out of the NBA Playoffs in ignominious style on Thursday night. A beaten up and battered Minnesota Timberwolves was still able to take care of business comfortably.

The question, naturally, is what comes next. Nikola Jokic didn’t hold back in his postgame comments. Change is required. What the Nuggets can do to improve their chances in a stacked Western Conference is the big question.

The Timberwolves exposed Denver

Nikola Jokic spoke harshly but truly after the game. “They were just better in basically every aspect of the game…we are far away. If we were in Serbia, we would all get fired.” The Denver Nuggets haven’t reached the Western Conference Finals since winning the championship in 2023.

Now, they’ve exited in the first round of the NBA Playoffs and look on a downward trend. There was no Anthony Edwards available for Minnesota and the Timberwolves essentially worked off a six man rotation. Yet the Denver Nuggets couldn’t take advantage. Even allowing for the absence of Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson, this was still a very winnable situation.

Jamal Murray’s rotten shooting night will get most of the blame but none of the Nuggets could make a field goal in the closing stages. Plus, this was Murray’s best ever regular season. The issues go much deeper. This series was a referendum on the roster that has been constructed.

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The flaws were already visible

While the regular season record was an improvement on last year, it’s not like we couldn’t see Denver’s issues. All the offensive strengths were obvious yet there were warning signs around the Denver Nuggets on D all season. They simply weren’t amongst the elite all season. A first round exit in the NBA Playoffs was always a risk with that flaw.

Denver’s vulnerabilities became most clear when opponents made games about athleticism and physicality. These were previously core strengths for the Nuggets but the Minnesota Timberwolves put an exclamation point on the issues in Game 6.

It comes from what isn’t there after the Nikola Jokic-Jamal Murray connection. If an opponent can use length to disrupt Murray, there’s simply not a viable option to adjust. Meanwhile Cameron Johnson, Christian Braun, and Aaron Gordon all bring continuity but that’s not enough. The Nuggets sorely need added creativity offensively and disruption on D.

Game 6 in context

The performance by the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night highlighted these issues. The TWolves managed to get 32 points from Jaden McDaniels and 24 from Terrence Shannon Jr. Minnesota also outrebounded Denver 50-33.

Minnesota have Plans C and D, Denver has at best a Plan B right now. In the regular season, you can get a pretty good record with just Plan A and B. That’s doubly true when Plan A is Nikola Jokic.

In the NBA Playoffs, with rare exceptions like Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks getting to the West finals a couple of seasons back, that just doesn’t cut it. It’s frustrating and hardly a new issue. Mike Malone arguably lost his job over a year ago because of this. David Adelman inherited a roster with these problems and the front office still hasn’t fixed them.

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Denver can’t spend its way out

Change is needed but it won’t be easy. The Denver Nuggets aren’t entering the summer with meaningful cap space. They’re already close to the second apron, which limits flexibility in roster building and trades only become tougher to make.

The good news is that Jonas Valanciunas and his $10 million salary will almost certainly come off the books. He seems certain to go to Euroleague after a woeful season in Denver. The worst of the bad news is that Peyton Watson is a restricted free agent. The Nuggets would appear to rather keep him so that’s going to take some work.

The goal is to add at least one guard worthy of real playoff minutes to the roster, ideally strong on D. Even if they pull that off, at least one more reliable defensive presence is needed. It’s hardly a deep market and options are already limited.

Finding practical fixes

There will be no shortage of voices amongst Denver Nuggets fans clamouring for Jamal Murray to depart. An early exit from the NBA Playoffs finishing with a rotten night for him will do that. Yet, from my perspective, his importance remains clear and this feels like an aberrant night.

The first look should be a guard who can manage the minutes without Nikola Jokic or Jamal Murray. A Tyus Jones or Monte Morris type is one to look at. Depending on how the remainder of his summer goes, Dennis Schröder might be available. Granted, that may cause panic in Mile High city.

The second need is someone to add to Peyton Watson style wise defensively. Think Gary Payton II or Nickeil Alexander-Walker in profile. Again, these options are thin on the ground and will likely involve trading a beloved player or two. It’s tough but 2023 is getting further in the rear view mirror. Some adored pieces have to be let go if Denver wants to learn from their exit at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

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