Denver Nuggets: Takeaways from the Miami loss

Nikola had 34 points and 15 rebounds last night.  A fantastic line for nearly every center that’s ever played the game.

We know Jokic can score. Know he can rebound.  We know he can assist.  When he’s at his best, he balances each facet and the Nuggets have success.  What we saw last night felt like something he’s been forced into.

This is what everyone wanted.

Jokic can drop 30 at-will.  The beauty of the Nuggets offense running through him is that he doesn’t need to.  He is the ultimate facilitator and he is performing at his most efficient when he’s guiding the Nuggets offense. That usually includes a healthy amount of assists (he averages 6.1).  Last night Nikola only managed three.  It’s not a big deal, he’s attuned to his game and I understand that with the Nuggets offensive motion drying up, there was little opportunity for the Serb to involve his teammates.

His (and the team’s) lack of assists was a symptom of a larger problem for the Nuggets.  Lots of guys are trying to play hero ball.  Many Nuggets want to be the guy the team relies on in crunch time.  As it’s played out this season, the only two guys on the roster that have the physical ability to be that guy are Gary Harris and Jokic.  It’s hard to watch Jamal and Barton turn the ball over, take questionable shots and generally spin their wheels trying to propel the Nuggets to victory.

It’s admirable, to be sure.  Everyone wants to be the guy that takes the last shot.  It’s just that only a handful of players have the ability to deliver in that situation.

Jokic is one of those guys, not necessarily as a shooter but as a floor-director.

Nikola’s game isn’t flash, it isn’t always good-looking.  It’s solid and fundamental and that is calming.  To be fair, he can take buzzer-beating shots but he seems to prefer putting his team in a better scoring position than chucking up 30-footers.  That doesn’t always mesh with high-flyers like Barton who use the seat-of-their-pants athleticism to make their impact.  It’s not right or wrong for either player, just a mismatch.

Nikola needs to be the guy making the decisions down the stretch.  In order to do that, the other guys on the floor have to be willing to give up the ball.

The nice thing about playing with Jokic is; You’ll probably get it right back in a much better scoring position.

Next: Denver Nuggets: Tough loss in Miami

Trust Nikola.  We don’t have a backup plan.