“Just because I scored 40…doesn’t mean I played good,” Nikola Jokic gives surprising response to Denver Nuggets struggles

Nikola Jokic addressed the media following his 41-point outburst in the Nuggets' 109-104 loss to the Clippers on Saturday Night.

“Just because I scored 40…doesn’t mean I played good,” Nikola Jokic gives surprising response to Denver Nuggets struggles

Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic

Nikola Jokic is the 2x reigning MVP of the league, but the Denver Nuggets are struggling to keep up in the NBA. The Nuggets fell to a 0-2 record after a debilitating defeat to the Los Angeles Clippers. The game saw Jokic drop 41 points. However, his singular heroics weren’t enough to secure the win, and he had some harsh criticism to dish out after the game.

Just over a year ago, all was right for the Nuggets as they stood as the reigning NBA champions. With a superstar duo of Jokic and Jamal Murray, alongside a strong supporting cast, the team looked like a future dynasty.

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But the team has struggled to begin this season after a second-round exit in the previous playoffs. Nikola Jokic is never one to mince his words, and even after a 40-point plus outing, the Denver center did not hold back his criticism.

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Just because I scored 40 today, that doesn’t mean I played good…I don’t think we need to question my patience, because I’m with the guys. I’m not separate from them…I think we all need to play better.

Nikola Jokic told reporters following the loss

Earlier this week, Nikola Jokic had been critical of the lack of shooting on the Nuggets roster. However, the Joker took over the shooting responsibilities in last night’s game, going 7-12 from downtown for a new career high in threes. The rest of the Nuggets roster continued their struggles from deep, shooting a measly 7-23 from distance.

As for the Clippers, the team was led in scoring by Norman Powell. The dynamic guard took over the scoring load, ending the game with 37 points to lead the Clippers. He drained seven triples from deep as well, going shot-for-shot with the Joker. At the end of the day, the Nuggets’ lack of offensive firepower around Jokic was the primary reason for the team’s loss, as they mustered up 104 points, shooting just 40% from the field.

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Can Nikola Jokic and the winless Nuggets figure out their woes?

The Nuggets had a lackluster offseason and its starting to show in the team. The Nuggets lost sharpshooter Kentavious Caldwell Pope to the Orlando Magic, one of their key roster pieces. The team’s bench has been poor for a while now, struggling to get any offensive creation without Nikola Jokic on court. The only major roster addition of Russell Westbrook has not addressed any of these issues for the team.

Coach Mike Malone addressed the struggles of the team in his postgame presser. Here’s what the Nuggets HC had to say about the team’s rough start.

It’s not the start that we wanted, but it’s our reality. So embrace it, and let’s try to go on the road, find our rhythm, and kind of get this shitty taste out of our mouths.

Mike Malone told reporters
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The Nuggets have faced the same issues which plagued them during the postseason last year. Lack of offensive production and shooting outside Jokic has been a struggle for the team, especially with the janky starts to the season for Michael Porter Jr., and Nuggets lead guard Jamal Murray. It remains to be seen if the team can figure out their roster issues before it’s time to ring the sirens about their future.