Yardbarker
x
The Nuggets don't deserve Nikola Jokic
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Nuggets don't deserve Nikola Jokic

By Sai Mohan  |  Last updated May 14, 2025 8:19 AM ET

Nikola Jokic single-handedly torched the NBA's No.1-ranked defense on Tuesday, but his teammates, specifically his organization, let him down.

In the fourth quarter of Game 5 of the Nuggets-Thunder semifinals series, Jokic had 13 points (4-of-6 shooting). The rest of the Nuggets shot 1-of-15 from the floor to combine for six points.

Denver's fourth-quarter woes meant it was outscored 34-19 in the final period, which proved vital in OKC's 112-105 victory. Through the first three quarters, Jokic's brilliance silenced the hot OKC crowd and put the Nuggets in the driver's seat — a shocking outcome considering the home team began 10.5-point favorites.

For the umpteenth time in his career, Jokic's individual brilliance was the great equalizer against a vastly superior team. Sadly, his teammates failed to do their part in feeding off his greatness. 

The Serb would finish with a stunning stat line of 44 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and two steals, becoming the first player since Wilt Chamberlain to record two 40/15/5 games in the same series.

Wasting his greatness

All that just for Jokic to take another L on behalf of his organization.

The Nuggets have continuously let Jokic down since he guided them to their first championship in 2023. After cheapening out on paying Bruce Brown and Jeff Green, they let Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, another key piece to their title-winning team, walk last offseason. 

As a result, Jokic finds himself on an island, having to play 44 minutes and carrying the heaviest workload in the NBA. In Games 3 and 4, the Nuggets got only 18 points off the bench. The Thunder got 57 points off their bench, including 35 in the 92-87 Game 3 victory.  

Jokic can only do so much, and Charles Barkley agrees.

"This guy has more responsibility than any player in the NBA," Barkley said. "It's kinda unfair, but that's just the way it is. No other player has to lead their team in scoring, rebounding and assists. There are a lot of great players in this league, but no player has the responsibility that the Joker has."

Barkley urged the Nuggets to get Jokic "some help," noting that signing players is not the three-time MVP's job. The TNT analyst argued it's not a winning formula to trot out a seven-man rotation in the NBA, blaming Denver for doing a disservice to Jokic. 

"They won the one championship, and still haven't got anybody coming off the bench [to help Jokic]," he concluded.

As is well documented, Jokic is the only MVP in modern history to go 10 full seasons without playing next to an active All-NBA or All-Defensive player. One wonders if the Nuggets even deserve his greatness.

Sai Mohan
Muck Rack

A veteran sportswriter based in Portugal, Sai covers the NBA for Yardbarker and a few local news outlets. He had the honor of covering sporting events across four different continents as a newspaper reporter. Some of his all-time favorite athletes include Mike Tyson, Larry Bird, Luís Figo, Ayrton Senna and Steffi Graf.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.