It’s bittersweet for Nuggets fans, and it certainly shouldn’t be surprising, but it looks like Nikola Jokic is set to play for Serbia this summer at EuroBasket. While it will be a blast to see Jokic competing for his country again, trying to carry them to another medal, it’s also hard not to be concerned about the extra miles he keeps putting on his body.
Jokic has been an indestructible machine for years now, but he’s 30 years old now, and the extra wear and tear is going to start showing up eventually. The Nuggets have worn down in the playoffs in back-to-back seasons after winning the title in 2023.
But that’s three deep playoff runs in a row, plus a deep run in the 2024 Summer Olympics, and now EuroBasket later this summer. That’s just a lot of highly competitive basketball for anyone to play over such a short period of time.
Then, there will be another short turnaround as Jokic will head to Denver for training camp and preseason, and the regular season in October will be here before you know it. There will be no rest for the Joker then, as the Nuggets will come into the season as one of the favorites to win another championship.
Nuggets' extra depth will be critical this season
The good news is that, despite what some people may think, Jokic takes incredible care of himself and has proven to be one of the most durable players alive. It would be ridiculous not to give him the benefit of the doubt and expect that he knows how to manage himself and make sure he’s ready to go for another MVP-caliber season and long playoff run.
It’s also working in his favor that Denver has done a great job of adding depth this offseason. The team acquired a true backup center in Jonas Valanciunas. It remains to be seen exactly how his saga will work out, but in theory, he should be able to provide plenty of reliable relief for Jokic this season.
On top of that, last year’s first-round pick, DaRon Holmes II, is fully recovered from his torn achilles and has been tearing up the Las Vegas Summer League. He appears poised to take on a meaningful role this season and should provide even more stability in the frontcourt.
EuroBasket may be an extra scare for fans who only care about the Nuggets, but overall, this is a good thing as it’s just another opportunity to appreciate the best player in the world at the peak of his powers. We’ve seen him work some of his best magic when competing for his home country, and I expect nothing less this time around.