Nikola Jokic has been running the pick-and-roll with Jamal Murray to perfection for years. Jokic and Murray have gone together like peanut butter and jelly, complementing each other on the direct hand-offs like no other duo in the league. Perhaps as good as any duo in league history. But 2026-27 will bring Jokic another elite pick-and-roll expert, DeMar DeRozan, and that could add another dimension to the Nuggets' offense that's been missing in the past.
Typically, when Murray goes to the bench and the Nuggets run a staggered Jokic/Murray lineup, the pick-and-rolls start to wane. But that should change with DeRozan, whose basketball IQ running the two-man game is every bit as good as Murray's, even if his production has fallen off a little bit as the 37-year-old, 17-year veteran has aged. And now that DeRozan is paired with Jokic, he'll be playing with the best passing center he's ever played with.
DeRozan is no slouch in the pick and roll
DeRozan has been using the pick-and-roll as a primary point creation tool for the majority of his career, and he was still effective with it in 2025-26 with the Sacramento Kings. DeRozan averaged 3.4 P&R's per game, and he averaged 0.96 points per possession, good enough to rank in the 76th percentile. For comparison's sake, Murray averaged 1.04 points per possession on his P&R's with Joker, which ranked in the 89th percentile.
But when DeRozan was in a better offense in 2023-24, his final season with the Chicago Bulls, he averaged 1.06 points per possession, an elite level of production. Now sprinkle in Jokic's magical passing game, and that number could be easily matched this season.
The pick and roll is the best way to utilize DeRozan with Jokic
The pick and roll is the best fit for Jokic and DeRozan when they share the court together. DeRozan can still cut to the rim, and he was better at it when he was younger, but he isn't as much of a threat to be a slasher like he once was. And when Jokic gets double-teamed, he likes to find the open three-point shooter, but that's not really DeRozan's game, either. That's why when the two share the court together, there will likely be a heavy dose of the P&R.
But that should be fine. The Nuggets are lucky to get such a good scorer and mid-range shooter for the league minimum. And it's about time they have someone who can continue the vaunted two-man game for Murray when he hits the bench.
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