Two years ago, it was almost impossible to envision any team taking down the Denver Nuggets in a seven-game series.
Fast forward to today, and that isn’t the case at all.
This season, they’ve dropped some games they could’ve and should’ve won, and some of their losses have been rather ugly.
Yet, even though they haven’t fared as well as they expected, Nikola Jokic remains optimistic.
Following a tough loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the three-time NBA MVP argued that, with the way they’ve played, their 16-13 record should be even worse.
“I think we are not even close [to] where we’re supposed to be. But I think how bad we’ve played, I think we’re in a good spot,” Jokic said, via Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports and ClutchPoints.
“We are not even close to where we’re supposed to be. I think how bad we’ve played, we’re in a good spot.”
Nikola Jokic on the Nuggets’ struggles 🗣️
(via @HarrisonWind)pic.twitter.com/mvJ0nEAudy
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 28, 2024
Jokic has arguably been the best player in the league this season.
Even so, his team is sitting seventh in the Western Conference.
He’s had to do most of the heavy lifting on offense, but no one can win on his own at this level.
Jokic has averaged almost a triple-double for the season, but everybody else not named Russell Westbrook has either been injured, inconsistent or both.
The Nuggets have been linked to Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls in trade rumors, and there has been some talk circling around Denver’s Michael Porter Jr.
Mike Malone’s team lost some of its key players from their championship team, and they haven’t been able to replace them.
It’s still early in the season, and they should have time to right the ship.
But with the NBA trade deadline approaching, they cannot rest on their laurels much longer.
NEXT: Michael Porter Jr. Speaks Out About Recent Trade Rumors
