The Nuggets got a solid and much-needed win on Wednesday night in New Orleans to right the ship and quiet some of the noise a bit, but still, it has undeniably been an underwhelming start to the season. Denver’s only two wins have come against the Pelicans, and they got battered pretty badly by the Thunder and Warriors.
And that’s not to even mention the weirdness that’s going on with Nikola Jokic and the fans, a potential drop in play from Aaron Gordon, an over-reliance on Jamal Murray, and various other issues up and down the roster.
Yet, at the end of the day, it’s important to zoom out, take a look at the big picture, and look at the landscape of the league. It’s only been four games. The NBA regular season is the epitome of a marathon, not a sprint. Everything we’ve seen has shown us that Jokic is a wins machine and can basically carry this team through the regular season.
The Nuggets can’t lose sight of that or their bigger goals, which include getting to the playoffs fresh and healthy and being able to compete for a championship. They can’t overreact to an ugly week or a slow start, but instead need to stay the course, deal with some lumps, and continue to search for what will work long-term.
Regular season is simply about survival for Nuggets
That’s even more true when you look around the league, especially the Western Conference, and take into account what a gauntlet the season is. The Thunder have already lost Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace, likely for the entire season.
The Timberwolves have lost Anthony Edwards for multiple months and perhaps longer. The Jazz have lost Jaren Jackson Jr. for 6-8 weeks with a torn MCL. And that’s just the West. Over in the Eastern Conference, we’re already looking at long absences for stars like Kawhi Leonard, Tyrese Haliburton, Jalen Duren, Paolo Banchero, and others.
My point is simple: as bad as it has felt in Denver, it could be a hell of a lot worse. In a lot of ways, it’s just about surviving and advancing, and that remains the most important thing for the Nuggets: keeping everyone healthy and fresh. Of course, it’s not going to be perfect. The Nuggets are already dealing with issues with Cam Johnson, Julian Strawther, and Spencer Jones.
But it’s a reminder that the key is to try and keep everyone as fresh as possible, manage your stars, and give this team a chance to get into a rhythm, build some momentum, and make it to the playoffs whole. It’s a lot easier said than done, and you can do everything right and still suffer bad luck, but the script is clear, and the Nuggets need to stick to it and stay the course, regardless of a few bad results.
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