It's that time of year again. The Denver Nuggets are facing question marks because of early signs of regression and Nikola Jokic is now at the heart of said discourse. The working theory appears to be, as social media would tell it, that Jokic's 2025-26 knee injury has spawned a premature demise.
Whether it's Bill Simmons on his podcast, a viral post on X, or anyone else, there's one possibility that must be considered: It's too soon to make such bold proclamations.
There are fascinating hypotheses out there about the manner in which Jokic's knee injury and subsequent body change could be limiting his efficacy. The terrifying possibility also exists that said theories will one day be proven correct.
The reality of what's transpiring in Denver and the validity of said claims, however, is that none hold any weight whatsoever just seven games into the regular season.
Whether good, bad, or otherwise, nothing Jokic is showing at this stage of the year is worth making final proclamations over. Even if he does have to change the way he plays due to the manner in which his physical attributes have changed, it's too soon to know whether or not he'll be able to succeed in doing so.
Factor in Denver's history of rocky starts and hot finishes to seasons, and this feels like yet another example of an early-season overreaction.
Nikola Jokic may be different—but he also needs time to figure it out
In his first game since Simmons pondered if "Apex Jokic" had reached his end, the three-time MVP posted 32 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds, and three steals in a win over the Toronto Raptors. Just as it's too soon to start the conversation of a decline, it'd be silly to use that one game as proof of the contrary.
Jokic can, of course, post great numbers while still taking a step back as an overall player, whether that be in impact or late-game efficacy. But he can also change his approach and still be great.
Regardless of which is true, nothing can actually be determined based on a woefully small sample size of games. Perhaps this is the beginning of the end, but it may also be the start of a new beginning that sees Jokic make adjustments that turn him into an even more effective player.
Whether one seems more likely than the other is irrelevant, as neither has actually transpired when one considers the full context of the conversation at hand.
Give Nikola Jokic more than seven games to confirm what he's becoming
If Denver's first-round exit and Jokic's knee injury in 2025-26 is a factor, then so should the fact that four of the team's top six players in minutes per game missed at least 28 games. If a slow start is a concern, then the fact that the Nuggets have gone 25-16 or better—a 50-win rate—after the midway point of the regular season in four consecutive seasons should be considered.
If the conversation about Jokic's ability to push players around in the post is the issue, then he should at least get a full season to figure out if his new approach works before anyone claims it factually doesn't.
Perhaps this is considered to be one giant attempt to cope with the inevitable, as Jokic is 31 and potentially exiting his prime. One simply can't help but wonder how anything of true consequence can be decided about a player or a team less than 10 games into a season.
Revisit this conversation with a bigger sample size and surely reference the potentially brilliant foresight of those who have commented on it, but seven games in, it's way too soon to know what Jokic is or will become.
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