“We are not a good shooting team…” Nikola Jokic gets brutally honest about teammates after season opener loss to OKC

Nikola Jokic highlights the Denver Nuggets' struggles with three-point shooting after their loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“We are not a good shooting team…” Nikola Jokic gets brutally honest about teammates after season opener loss to OKC

Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic

The Denver Nuggets’ opening game didn’t go as planned against the Oklahoma City Thunder. At the end of the game, Nikola Jokic spoke candidly after the 102-87 loss as he highlighted the team’s struggles with shooting.

Nikola Jokic in his conversation with the media noted that, aside from Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray, the Nuggets lack reliable shooters. An unusual statement from the reigning MVP who doesn’t usually let his disappointment show.

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We don’t shoot the ball very well. We are not a good shooting team, I think, except Michael (Porter Jr.) and Jamal (Murray). All of us are kind of streaky, not streaky, but just average shooters. We have something else, we can probably be better and have advantages in some other things on the floor.

Nikola Jokic said to the media after the game

Furthermore, the Joker’s assessment was also echoed by head coach Michael Malone, who acknowledged that three-point shooting would be a weakness for the team this season. The exit of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the Orlando Magic, a 40% career three-point shooter, has significantly impacted the Nuggets’ shooting capabilities.

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Furthermore, the Nuggets’ shooting woes were on full display against the Thunder, as they converted just 7 of 38 three-point attempts (18.4%). Notably, Jokic also struggled with his three-point shot (1/3, 33.3%), as well as Russell Westbrook (1/6, 16.6%), who was expected to bring his experience to the team.

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Nikola Jokic and Denver Nuggets face reality check after disappointing preseason

Before their opening season loss, the Denver Nuggets had a dismal NBA preseason, as they finished with a 1-4 record. Star player Nikola Jokic acknowledged the team’s poor performance, as he cited brutal blowout losses to the Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder.

We didn’t play the preseason how we’re supposed to be playing. The defense was not what it was supposed to be. We couldn’t make shots and we played really poorly the whole preseason. So hopefully, we can do something a little bit better when the season comes.

Nikola Jokic said after a preseason game

The Nuggets’ sole preseason win came against a Minnesota Timberwolves team that rested its key players. Despite Jokic playing 28 minutes, the game remained surprisingly close.

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However, despite the preseason struggles and an opening season loss, the Nuggets have 82 regular-season games to rebound and prove their championship potential. Their next game against the Clippers will need an improvement in their all-round game.