By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Down key players on the injury list, the Denver Nuggets were eliminated by the Golden State Warriors in five games. After making the Western Conference Finals in 2020, and the Semifinals in 2019 and 2021, reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets suffered a first-round exit in the 2022 Playoffs.
“We don’t know what we can do because we were not healthy,” mentioned the Joker regarding injured teammates Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. sidelined for several months, “Do we have some talent? Yes. Can we do something? Probably. You can see through the league teams are making super teams and they’re not making any success, let’s say like that.”
Logging 48 wins through the Regular Season, the Nuggets landed the sixth spot in the Western Conference standings. Presumably, a healthy squad would earn a better seed and matchup in the Playoffs.
“I think we have talent. We have players. We have pieces. We have tools,” added Jokic, “The only thing is are we going to work together. That’s the only thing. That’s the question. You cannot know that until you start playing.”
Jokic, 27, produced 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game in the Regular Season. Opposite the Warriors, he ended up with 31.3 points, 11.8 rebounds, 5.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 0.8 blocks per contest. His contract stretches until the end of the 2022-23 season but he is now eligible to sign a five-year, $254M supermax extension, the largest in NBA history.
“I would like it, of course,” he said, “But it’s not something that I’m deciding. If the offer is on the table, of course, I’m going to accept it because I really like the organization.”
Another possible development is becoming the MVP for the second year in a row. Among the three finalists, the Serbian superstar talked about the potential distinction after the season-ending Game 5 versus the Warriors.
“I never dream about it,” he mentioned, “It’s something that if it happened, it’s a great thing of course. But if I don’t get it, I’m not going to die.”
Photo Credit: Getty Images