Aaron Gordon, Will Barton, Austin Rivers, Facundo Campazzo, and Nikola Jokic

Your starting five in the April 2022 Denver Nuggets vs. Golden State Warriors first-round series. All things considered, the five-game series was extremely tough, with the final three games coming down to wire calls. An impressive feat given that Demarcus Cousins, the bench’s erratic backup center, was there.

Taking everything into account, Nikola Jokic’s 2021–22 NBA season may be his most significant to date. It was an enormous responsibility to lead that Nuggets squad, and his performance was even more impressive. By his own determination, the Nuggets squad won 48 games. Jokic’s ability to elevate everyone around him, regardless of their skill level on paper, was evident in his mere ability to survive and lead that squad to a competitive position in the rankings.

Jokic received a (deserved) MVP nomination in 2022 for all of his accomplishments, but the Denver Nuggets should take note of this warning. It is easy to understand. Take note of the lessons from 2022. Nikola Jokic should not be relied upon to carry your club like he did during that crucial, non-title season.

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Many have accused me of being overly pessimistic about the Nuggets’ approach to the current season. Alright, it makes sense. I am aware of that perception, and it must have significance if that is how I come across. I’ve been thinking a lot about why I’ve been viewing this particular season so differently than most Nuggets media members. After all, the Nuggets, who are currently 10-4 as of this writing, started the season 8-1 and just won their first NBA Title. But after watching the last two games, I realized why I was a little nervous about the Nuggets’ strategy going into the season.

Nikola Jokic may be experiencing severe burnout in the vein of 2022. Not wearing Jokic out, but psychologically stressing him so he’s not the team’s primary player once more.

Before you object to what I’m saying, listen to me! I am heading there for a purpose.

Before the New Orleans Pelicans game, the signs were in place. On the court, Jokic was undoubtedly a little more irritable and had a shorter fuse. But in a strange defeat, Jokic played like a crazy man against the Pelicans, compiling a stat line that even my cynical mind could not comprehend. In my opinion, these things have fully shown out in the Nuggets’ defeat against the Cleveland Cavaliers and, most obviously, in their victory over the Detroit Pistons. reminding me of the 2022 season Jokic had. Feeling anxious, irritable, and undoubtedly exhausted. Folks, we have only played 14 games this season. More than anything, being thrown out following the Cleveland game said volumes.

Apart from that, Jokic’s attitude on the court has been strange, even though it is clearly acknowledged that having Tony Brothers as the lead official for three games this early in the season hasn’t helped. The Nuggets’ margin for error—or cushion, if you will—has completely vanished as a result of their reliance on a bunch of players in their first and second seasons. The very youthful back half of the team had to step up when Jokic and Malone were both ejected from the game against the Pistons. Yes, the Pistons are tied for the worst NBA team with the Washington Wizards, but given how many inexperienced players (who held their own) got to play, it was almost remarkable that they won. God be praised for Reggie Jackson.

We can attribute Jokic’s (the Nuggets’) stress to not having Murray for the previous seven games. Beneath it all, though, is the reality that this season the Nuggets are lacking that mistake buffer. Jokic needs to elevate the team by switching to 2022 mode via proxy. Jokic going all HAM might boost flashy stats and win MVP votes, but this is something you don’t want as a Denver Nuggets supporter. The over-reliance on Jokic once more for the purpose of young development is a very serious sign of burnout.

It goes without saying that Jamal Murray’s comeback will help. The Nuggets’ strategy to this season has me dubious because of the amount of time they’ve given to rookie development and the championship window. It seems like this has put too much pressure on the starting unit to sustain a championship team with a relatively young back end of the roster. When Jamal returns, the starting lineup becomes even more deadly than the Boston Celtics starting lineup.

However, there is that annoying “margin for error.”

I won’t go over my objections to the youth vs. competing challenge again. But, I will caution the Nuggets to use caution and not force Nikola Jokic to the ground at the whim of progress. The team’s extensive investment in young players has the unintended consequence of stressing your starting lineup—especially your star players, in whom you have made millions of dollars—if you wish to compete. They have nothing to gain from burning out. The squad must consider the problems at hand and figure out a way to get by without Jokic playing till 2022.