The Nuggets and Nikola Jokic are off to a great start this season as the team is 5-2 while the Joker has already put up five triple-doubles. But Denver is turning back the clock with their play style. They are currently driving less than any team in the past seven seasons, but that’s largely because they have the most efficient post-up game in the history of the NBA’s data tracking era.
The league started keeping such stats at the start of the 2013-14 season, and over that span, the Nuggets are averaging more points per post-up than any other team. On the one hand, it makes sense in that Jokic is the best big man to come through the league in the past 20 years.
It makes sense to put the ball in his hands as often as possible, and obviously, when he operates out of the post (or, really, anywhere, for that matter), he consistently creates extremely efficient offense for himself or others.
On the other hand, the league has changed dramatically this century, with perimeter play and three-point shooting emphasized more than ever. Teams are playing drive-and-kick or pick-and-roll more than anything else, and some teams are barely posting up at all. But the Nuggets have an old-school style that works thanks to their generational superstar.
Nuggets may need balance to win championship
It works extremely well in the regular season, but we’ve seen that full-on Jokic-ball hasn’t been enough in the playoffs. He needs the supporting cast to come along with him. Jamal Murray is off to a great start, but he has to keep driving and finding ways to attack the basket, pressure the rim, and get to the free throw line.
He had his shortcomings, but Russell Westbrook provided this skill last year, and there’s no clear replacement. Christian Braun and Peyton Watson can certainly attack more—Ditto for Bruce Brown. But at a certain point, the team also has to recognize who they are.
Jokic is the reason they are contenders in the first place, so leaning into what he does well is paramount. There’s no reason to waste possessions having players drive to the basket who aren’t creating efficient offense. That’s magnified even more when Joker is offering up some of the most efficient offenses of all time.
The point is, there will be a time when good teams force the Nuggets to get out of their comfort zone. Denver has the whole regular season to figure out their best counterpunches for when those moments come.