Nikola Jokic stole the spotlight on Sunday night with his incredible performance that led the Nuggets to a 122-120 win over the Dallas Mavericks. It was the team’s 5th straight victory, moving them to 7-3 on the season. It was also Jokic’s 4th straight triple-double as he put up a ridiculous 37 points, 18 rebounds, and 15 assists.
Jokic’s play has been absurd - even for his standards. It’s hard to even fathom what he’s been doing on a nightly basis to keep this team competitive. But it can’t last forever; or at least, it shouldn’t. The Joker has been overburdened, and it’s amazing for fans to watch, but it’s probably not in the best interests of the team long-term.
He can’t continue doing this every night and playing 40 minutes a night. He will eventually break down and his game will slip. The Nuggets need this version of Jokic when the team reaches the playoffs. At the same time, without Jokic’s contributions, this team looks like it would struggle to even reach the playoffs. It’s a delicate balance, but one that must be found very quickly.
Michael Porter Jr. hits game-winning shot in closing seconds
What was lost in the shuffle of Jokic’s dominance on Sunday night, was that it actually wasn’t Jokic who made the biggest basket of the game. Furthermore, it wasn’t Jamal Murray either; it was Michael Porter Jr. MPJ attacked a closeout off the catch, drove into the lane, and found himself open enough to hit an elbow floater with only a few seconds remaining to give the Nuggets a 122-120 lead.
THE MIKE DAGGER 🗡 pic.twitter.com/yQpTEmyqdO
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) November 11, 2024
Nuggets fans are used to seeing late-game heroics from Jokic and Murray, but to see a third player step up and take (and make!) the biggest shot of the night is a huge step for Denver. They’ve desperately needed someone else to step up and we’ve wondered if MPJ can take that leap and become a complementary offensive player for Murray and Jokic.
He started the season slowly but has come on strong the last few games and hitting a shot like this should only up his confidence. Porter Jr. and the Nuggets needed this and if they can shift their incredible two-man game with Jokic and Murray into more of a three-man game, that would open up endless possibilities.
So while it’s only one shot, and the season is still very young, it’s critical that the Nuggets lean into this and do their best to emphasize MPJ early in the year. See if he is capable of carrying a bigger load and taking a bit off the shoulders of Jokic and Murray. It can’t be the only solution, but more responsibility for MPJ in the regular season should be a very good thing for the state of the franchise.