The Nuggets and their fans are waking up on Monday morning likely still in a state of shock. No disrespect to the Wolves, but it never really felt like the Nuggets would actually lose this series. And even as the game was slipping away on Sunday night it felt surreal, almost like a bad dream. How could this be happening to the defending champs? On their home floor no less!
But it did happen, and in the blink of an eye, Denver’s 20-point lead was gone and the season was over. No more title defense. No more basketball for several months. And a long offseason full of much-needed rest and change. But how did we get here?
Nikola Jokic wasn't his best in the biggest moments
The Nuggets had a bevy of problems that were all tied together and they all came to a head at the worst possible time. In some ways, it was a chain reaction and a bit of a domino effect, but as is the case in most professional sports settings, it has to start at the top.
We can’t ignore Nikola Jokic and his performance in the last two games. Simply put, he seemed to run out of gas. He did everything in his power to try to lift his team, but he just didn’t have the energy required to keep battling on both ends. There are many reasons why that was the case, and most of them are not his fault. Jokic was by far the Nuggets’ best player and fought valiantly, but it wasn’t enough.
Supporting Cast was nowhere to be found
Jamal Murray was great in the first half of Game 7, but his play in games 1-6 is a big reason the series even went 7. He also faded in the second half and was mostly shut down by Anthony Edwards. To have a chance to contend, the Nuggets need apex Murray on a nightly basis in the playoffs. For one reason or another, they didn’t get it this year.
Aaron Gordon had a great series, but couldn’t get much going in the last two games. He thrives off energy plays and the team just didn’t bring the energy. The Wolves and their giant, swarming defense were able to render him a non-factor. Michael Porter Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope provided almost zero offense as well. MPJ especially has to be able to knock down shots and score points to keep the defense honest and take pressure off Jokic and Murray on offense. He wasn’t able to do it.
Michael Porter Jr said he apologized to the team after the game and felt like this loss was on him. He said if he would’ve played the way he knows he can play the Nuggets would’ve won this series.
— Katy Winge (@katywinge) May 20, 2024
The bench was a mess
A lot of these issues were compounded by the lack of bench production for the Nuggets. They never established a reliable rotation of guys they could trust and even down to the final game, Michael Malone was struggling to figure out which button to press and who he could trust.
Ultimately, the answer was essentially nobody. Denver never established a true backup center or point guard and the wing room was basically a grab bag on any given night. The team never knew what they were going to get from any of the bench players.
The Nuggets' bench was outscored by 50 points in this series.
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) May 20, 2024
This plagued the Nuggets all season and led to the starters being overtasked. It was apparent by the end of this series that the Wolves were the fresher team. The Nuggets had nobody they could turn to for a boost of energy and it didn’t seem like the starters had another gear they could reach.
It’s a sad ending to a season that was full of hope. The Nuggets should hold their heads up high, it’s not like repeating as champions is easy. But at the same time, it felt like this title was there for the taking, and with one or two more reliable options they could have won it.