As a three-time MVP, Nikola Jokic has established himself as one of the greatest players in the history of the NBA. Jokic is a walking bucket, a rebounding machine who lifts the Denver Nuggets’ championship ceiling like no one else could. He is unquestionably the best player in the world and is still just 29 years old.
According to George Karl, the Nuggets’ brain trust isn’t doing everything it possibly could to compete for championships with its brilliant Serbian center.
Over the weekend, the former Nuggets coach tweeted a blunt assessment of Denver’s puzzling offseason. This coincidentally happened after Jokic effortlessly dropped 20 points and 12 rebounds against France’s Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert—the two best defenders in the game—in an Olympic exhibition on Friday.
Karl wasn’t kind. He thinks Denver could be doing much more to contend for titles with Jokic and just isn’t as it watches the rest of the NBA pass its roster by:
If you have one of the potential Top 10 players ever on your team and you’re not doing all you can to help him win more championships, you might be messing with the Basketball Gods.
— George Karl (@CoachKarl22) July 13, 2024
I’m inclined to agree with Karl.
After not matching his contract offer, the 2023 NBA champions lost valuable ex-starting shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the Orlando Magic. Yes, Caldwell-Pope was technically Denver’s fifth starter, but he was also the Nuggets’ third-best 3-point shooter and their best point-of-attack defender. You don’t replace that kind of critical production overnight. They also lost this year’s first-round pick, DaRon Holmes II, to a torn Achilles and have yet to add a viable backup point guard for Jamal Murray. (Uh, is Russell Westbrook still coming?)
In response to Denver’s calamitous offseason, general manager Calvin Booth has consistently preached the importance of drafting well. It’s a noble thought process, and he’s not entirely incorrect — good teams do need good young talent in the pipeline. The Nuggets are also not without promise waiting in the wings. Recent first-round picks Peyton Watson, Christian Braun, and Julian Strawther all might be quality rotation players soon enough.
But Booth’s approach to drafting well while he has the clear best player in the world is fraught in practice. It essentially asks several young players to reach their 99th percentile developmental outcome while hoping you don’t waste some of your franchise player’s finest years as they mature. It could happen, but it’s more likely that it won’t.
Because let’s be honest: Jokic won’t be this good forever. Father Time is undefeated. He catches up with everyone eventually.
So, Karl is right. The Nuggets could be doing more for Jokic. They could be giving him as robust of a supporting cast as possible. At this very moment, it looks like they’re instead simply hoping his individual brilliance will shine through regardless.
And that is a belief that’s already likely cost them at least one another NBA title.
