Are These Nuggets Enough for Nikola Jokic?

The new season for the Denver Nuggets officially tips off on Monday at 6 PM CET at the Ball Arena in Colorado.

After their first-round playoff exit last season, questions linger about the capabilities of David Adelman's squad this year. More importantly, will Nikola Jokic finally receive adequate support from his teammates?

American journalist Kevin O'Connor addressed these concerns in his article titled "Are These Nuggets Enough for Nikola Jokic?"

We present his analysis in its entirety:

The Nuggets have spent years trying to survive minutes without Nikola Jokic. They've won numerous games and even a championship, but this issue has consistently resurfaced.

According to Databallr, over the past five regular seasons, Denver boasts a net rating of +10.8 with Jokic on the court, and a dismal -7.5 without him. Even when Jamal Murray played without Jokic, Denver's net rating stood at -5.8.

Denver has brought in various players, from DeMarcus Cousins and DeAndre Jordan to Jonas Valanciunas, to provide support. This year's group? Marvin Bagley, Daron Holmes, Zeke Nnaji, and Trevon Brazile. Now that Jokic is 31, it would be ideal if he could get some rest without the team's advantage evaporating. However, if these are Denver's options behind him, I'd be quite concerned as a Nuggets fan.

Surprisingly, the arrival of DeMar DeRozan could help. Although DeRozan just turned 37, he remains one of the NBA's most efficient scorers in isolation, low-post play, and pick-and-rolls. He's also a talented passer who maintains a low turnover rate. All four of Denver's backup bigs can shoot threes with varying degrees of success, with Bagley being a good athlete, and rookie second-rounder Brazile being sensational. With DeRozan creating shots, the Nuggets could simplify the offense for their backup bigs, asking them only to set screens, roll to the basket, grab rebounds, and occasionally hit a three. Nuggets coach David Adelman has various options to experiment with to discover what works best.

Larger questions arise on defense. None of these four big men have established themselves as strong rim protectors. Brazile possesses the explosiveness for highlight-reel blocks, but he weighs only around 220 pounds and lacks the mass to battle strong NBA centers. There's hope that Holmes can regain the form he showed at Dayton before an Achilles injury derailed his rookie season, but he didn't look like himself upon his return last season. Even the more experienced options don't inspire much confidence. How much longer are Nuggets fans willing to stick with Nnaji? And with Bagley on his sixth team in his ninth season, expecting him to finally translate his athleticism into reliable defense seems like wishful thinking.

This uncertainty extends beyond the backup center position. DeRozan can score, but he rarely shoots threes. Pairing him with bigs whose shots opponents consciously ignore could leave too much space for defenses to collapse and shut down his drives. Jokic did manage to find a winning formula with Russell Westbrook during their sole regular season together, but that success crumbled in the playoffs. DeRozan's reluctance to shoot threes and his defensive limitations create similar concerns when the postseason arrives.

The Nuggets also acquired point guard Tyus Jones, who is coming off the worst season of his career and has been traded twice. If he can rediscover the stable playmaking and near 40% three-point shooting he provided over the previous four years, he could help stabilize Denver's bench. But we'll see over time. Not all smaller guards can maintain success into their thirties, and regardless of their offensive contributions, a backcourt with Jones and DeRozan defensively looks like a revolving door.

Aaron Gordon hasn't finished either of the last two seasons fully healthy, while Christian Braun, after a significant contract extension, had the worst season of his young career, also hampered by injuries. The Nuggets also lost Peyton Watson and Tim Hardaway Jr. They retained Spencer Jones, a solid rotational player, and Julian Strawther, who has yet to prove himself. This team is on shaky ground if the starters miss as many games as they did last season, making it difficult to predict Denver's trajectory.

Jokic alone solves many problems, and perhaps Gordon will finish the season healthy, Braun will return to form, DeRozan will bring much-needed energy off the bench, and one of the backup bigs will prove reliable. Still, I'm concerned about how many things need to go right for the Nuggets compared to their Western Conference rivals.

In the back of every Denver fan's mind must also be Nikola Jokic's future.

No one truly expects Jokic to leave Denver. Waiting also makes financial sense: next summer, he could sign a five-year deal estimated at $360 million — which would be the richest contract in NBA history.

But his desire to stay shouldn't lull Denver into wasting another year of his prime. The Nuggets must provide him with a roster that can help turn that expected commitment into another championship.

And ultimately: Never say never. Jokic could sign elsewhere for an estimated $267 million over four years, compared to approximately $278 million for the same period in Denver. A team from a state without income tax could narrow that gap, even accounting for taxes on road games. Denver's biggest financial advantage is the approximately $82 million guaranteed for the fifth year of his contract. If Denver doesn't return to championship contention, a better chance for Jokic to win a ring might make that compromise worth considering.

Jokic says he wants to spend the rest of his career in Denver. Now, the Nuggets must show they know what to do with the time he's giving them.