The Nuggets did so well for so long with Nikola Jokic sidelined, but somehow, the team has started struggling now that he’s back in the lineup. Part of it is just him shaking off the rust from his longest NBA absence and reacclimating, but something has looked off.
One theory was posited on a recent episode of the All-NBA Podcast by guest Jason Timpf, of The Volume Sports. He wondered aloud if the Nuggets have been playing poorly since Jokic’s return because the team got used to playing a completely different style of defense without Jokic and Jonas Valanciunas in the lineup.
Without a true center, they were forced to adjust and mold into a more aggressive, switching, athletic defense that was mostly working. The team was built mostly with long, athletic wing players, and they were, more or less, able to fill a lot of the same roles stylistically.
But now that the big men are back, the scheme has changed, and the defense has fallen off a cliff, as they stumbled into the break with a 2-4 record since having their two veteran centers back in the rotation.
Nuggets must find defensive identity before playoffs
Denver’s defense was outstanding to start the season, but as the injuries mounted, it cratered, and they’ve never settled back into a rhythm. Injuries have certainly played a big part, but with Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson nowhere close to returning, the Nuggets are going to have to figure things out with the playoffs rapidly approaching.
Part of it is simply the fact that AG and P-Wat are two of their best defenders. Add in how much they’ve been without Christian Braun this season, and it makes sense for the defense to take a step back. But the NBA isn’t going to pause and wait for everyone to get healthy and back up to speed.
They are going to need to learn on the fly, and they’re going to need to pick a lane and lean into that direction. Patching things together on a night-to-night basis, depending on who’s in and out of the lineup, isn’t a recipe for sustained, long-term success.
If the Nuggets win it all this season, it will, of course, be in large part thanks to an elite offense led by Jokic and Jamal Murray. But it’s not going to happen without at least an average to good defense, which can be great at times.
There’s reason to believe that exists somewhere within this collection of players, but so far we haven’t seen much proof this season. They need to find a way to channel it over the next couple of months and make sure there’s a plan in place by the end of April that this team is able to execute at a high level.