If there’s one thing that’s been famously plaguing the Nuggets for the last 5-10 years, it’s been the minutes when Nikola Jokic is off the court. But that’s all set to change this year as the front office has finally put the necessary depth and complementary players around him. They should be able to field strong lineups for 48 minutes every night, whether Jokic is on the court or not.
Obviously, nobody is expecting the team to play as well when Jokic comes out of the game, but the dropoff in recent years has been extremely damaging. On media day, David Adelman made a point of talking about the non-Jokic minutes, emphasizing how vital it is for the team to support their superstar and keep him fresh for the playoffs.
A big part of that is making sure they don’t overtax him during the regular season. In years past, they’ve almost had no choice, as the team has so thoroughly cratered with him off the court that they likely would have missed the playoffs without him. It took everything he had just to drag the team to the playoffs, but they’ve run out of gas in consecutive years.
This time around, the idea is for Jokic to get plenty of rest each night, with the likes of Jonas Valanciunas and DaRon Holmes being able to spell him and keep the team afloat. That’s a very solid pair of bench bigs, and if Adelman can press the right buttons, he should be able to trot out a variety of solid lineups, even when Jokic is on the bench.
Nuggets should have elite lineups for 48 minutes
The Nuggets have had an elite starting lineup for years, and whenever Jokic is on the court, they’ve been dominant. If they can continue that trend and also compete during the non-Jokic minutes, they should be able to look like a near juggernaut this season.
Adelman can play multiple bigs, he can load up on shooting, he can emphasize defense, or almost any other option. That’s the beauty of all the added depth and versatility; Denver has been successful while being top-heavy, but now they’ve managed to keep the frontline talent, and back it up with an embarrassment of riches on the bench.
Things don’t always look the same on paper as they do in reality, and all of these new Nuggets’ lineups are just hypothetical for now. But if things do work out, the Nuggets may be able to boast the best roster in the NBA.