Nikola Jokic's frustration noted as Nuggets lose to Suns
Yesterday at 10:42 AM
The Denver Nuggets have had somewhat of an odd season so far, as they have struggled to play their best basketball for extended stretches of time. Wednesday night was one of those bad nights as the Nuggets were defeated by the Phoenix Suns 110-100 on Christmas night.
Star big man Nikola Jokic played at a high level on Wednesday night in Phoenix, scoring 25 points and adding 15 rebounds. However, a few of his Nuggets teammates seemed to be sleepwalking through the game and did not play well, allowing the Suns to pull away in the second half.
At multiple points during this game and other games, Jokic has been visibly frustrated with the team’s play and some of the mistakes that his teammates were making. This isn’t something that Jokic has been known for throughout his career, but it has popped up repeatedly this year as the Nuggets have struggled to find their footing.
On one occasion earlier in the season, Jokic’s frustration boiled into a postgame interview after a win against the Golden State Warriors on Dec 3.
“We can surprise in a good way and bad way, everybody,” Jokic said after that game. “Literally everybody.”
During Wednesday night’s game, there were multiple instances where a turnover by a teammate elicited a reaction from the big man. When forward Michael Porter Jr. threw the ball away during the third quarter, Jokic threw his hand up and yelled something while getting back on defense.
Nuggets may need trade shakeup to return to contender status
In some ways, the Denver Nuggets formula looks very similar to what it looked like over the last five seasons or so since Jokic became one of the best players in basketball. The Nuggets are winning his minutes when he is on the floor and losing his minutes with him off of the court, and he is still one of the most dominant offensive hubs in basketball.
The difference is that the Nuggets aren’t getting the same production from Jokic’s teammates as they have in past years. Jamal Murray has seen his play fall off a cliff this season as he battles through injuries and struggles to get going. Michael Porter Jr. has been inconsistent at times. Aaron Gordon has been banged up. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is in Orlando.
Simply put, it’s hard for Jokic to do much more with what he is getting out of everyone else, and a trade may be on the horizon as a result. The Nuggets have been linked to Bulls guard Zach LaVine on the trade market, and the prolific scorer would give this Nuggets team some juice and some creation on offense. Any deal for LaVine would likely involve sending Porter Jr. out in the trade.
The Nuggets are talented enough to compete even if they don’t make a deal, but standing pat puts them at risk of wasting another year of having the best player in basketball. I’m not sure Calvin Booth and company will be content with doing that.
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