For all the talk about the Nuggets’ new and improved bench and how deep they are, the team is still somehow losing the minutes when Nikola Jokic is on the bench. The rotation is certainly much deeper and better, but through six games, Denver has an elite +19.3 rating with Jokic on the court, and a rating of -7.4 when he sits.
One of the biggest points of emphasis for the Nuggets in the offseason was finding a way to stabilize the minutes when Jokic is off the floor. Trading for a legitimate backup center in Jonas Valanciunas was a big step in the right direction, rehabbing rookie DaRon Holmes was a big step in the right direction, and bringing in the wing depth to play small-ball was a step in the right direction.
And yet, so far, none of it seems to be working. David Adelman is obviously still very new to this job and still learning the nuances of his roster. The players are also adjusting to new roles, and many of them are just learning to play with each other for the first time - especially the bench.
It also doesn’t help that guys like Christian Braun and Cam Johnson, who should play an essential role in carrying some non-Jokic minutes, have both struggled out of the gate. But still, it shouldn’t be this bad for a roster that’s this talented 1-12.
Nuggets must find ways to compete without Jokic
Hopefully, this problem will solve itself with time. As the players and coaches all settle into a rhythm, there’s plenty of reason for optimism. After all, this is a very talented group of players with a strong veteran presence and championship pedigree.
Furthermore, it’s not like Jokic is sitting for half the game. We’re basically talking about 10-15 minutes a night. Jokic has proven time and again that he will produce elite results with just about any four shmoes playing alongside him.
Adelman and his staff need to do everything in their power to determine this team’s best five-man lineup that doesn’t include Jokic, and feature that group for as much time as possible while Jokic rests.
Maybe that’s the other four starters plus Valanciunas, maybe it’s a shooting-heavy lineup or a defense-heavy lineup, maybe some other combination entirely. But whatever it is, that unit surely exists on this roster, and the Nuggets need to make sure they find it before it’s too late.