It feels like the Nuggets need an overhaul this offseason, but in reality, they may well end up being the team that gave the eventual champion Thunder their toughest battle. Don’t get me wrong, the team needs changes, but it’s all based around addressing four key weaknesses: 3-point shooting, depth, backup center, and defense.
That may sound like a lot of problems, but all of them are things that should be fairly easy to address. The hard part is done; the Nuggets employ the best player in the world in Nikola Jokic. Building the team around him shouldn’t be nearly as difficult, and that’s why a few small tweaks can push this team right back to the top of the mountain.
Nuggets need to shoot more 3s
Plain and simple, the Nuggets cannot be last in the NBA in three-point attempts again as they were in 2024-25. Everyone on the roster needs to put up more attempts, and they have to add one or two more true shooters to the rotation.
There will be available minimum signings who can spot up and change the gravity of the floor, and the Nuggets should target them. Guys like Sam Merrill, Seth Curry, and Gary Trent Jr. have been available on the cheap in recent years and gone on to space the floor and rip the nets. Denver needs to be smart and target a few true sharpshooters to make Jokic’s life easier.
A 6-man playoff rotation is not feasible
As much as anything, the past two seasons, the problem has been running out of gas. Part of that was the disconnect between Michael Malone and Calvin Booth, but the roster also didn’t have enough playoff-caliber rotation players.
Hopefully, Julian Strawther, Peyton Watson, and DaRon Holmes are each able to take big steps and have more opportunity under David Adelman this season, and can become reliable playoff guys. But the Nuggets can’t just bank on that working out; they need to actively use every roster spot and asset to bring in veteran ring-chasers who can be relied upon immediately.
It’s time for Jokic to have a real backup
The fact that Jokic played the most minutes per game of his career this season is absurd. He’s 30 years old now, and they need to start preserving his body. The non-Jokic minutes have been a disaster for years, and this rotating cast of washed-up centers has been brutal.
There are always plenty of solid backup big men available, and it’s a worthy investment for the Nuggets to make. Just look around the playoffs and the teams that are left; everyone is employing multiple big men, and at least some have come very cheaply.
The Pacers pulled Tony Bradley off the scrap heap, and he’s playing real minutes in the conference finals. We’ve also seen huge impacts from guys like Mitch Robinson, Luke Kornet, and Jaylin Williams to a lesser extent. Having a true option for when Jokic sits would go a long way.
Bring in some real defenders
Finally, the Nuggets aren’t winning anything with a below-average defense. Too much was heaped on the plates of Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun this season, and that’s just not good enough. They need to play Watson more, and also get some guys who can come off the bench and make an impact.
Ideally, if they can add a cheap rim protector and a lockdown point-of-attack guy, they’d be in great shape. That would give them enough versatility to play different ways. True stoppers have a trickle-down effect on the entire defense. One or two of those guys could take Denver from around 20th to around 10th in the league, and that could make all the difference.