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How much does the 2-2 crossroads of Nuggets-Thunder matter to Nikola Jokić’s legacy?

Robert Zeglinski   For The Win

Welcome to Layup Lines, For the Win's basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Here's Robert Zeglinski.

I've been thinking about the importance of perspective recently. The grass is only greener or decaying, depending on how you look at it. I think this is essential to remember when talking about Nikola Jokić as the centerpiece of the current Denver Nuggets. This is especially the case ahead of one of the biggest weeks in franchise history on paper, as they try to upend the Oklahoma City Thunder in what has been an epic 2-2 playoff series so far. 

As tempting as it is to get caught up in the throes of recency bias and an inevitable (over)reactive discussion about what the rest of this series might mean for Jokić's legacy, context remains king. 

Let's not beat around the bush. By his well-established astronomical standards, Jokić has, for the most part, been pretty mid this postseason for Denver. 

Through 11 games, Jokić's 45-33-74 shooting splits are some of the worst of his playoff career. He has seemed more fixated on arguing with the refs about would-be and "should-be" fouls when battling in the paint against suffocating defenses rather than focusing on getting a consistent offensive rhythm going. There's an irony to him sometimes getting these calls he's incessantly complaining about, only to brick the free throws in the aftermath. (Note: while he's playing through it, I suspect a lot of those specific struggles are due to an injured right elbow that he's wearing not one but TWO shooting sleeves on.) His offensive approach has been stagnant and lethargic. His dominant performances, like a 42-point, 22-rebound masterpiece to help steal Game 1 against the Thunder, have been few and far between. 

In fact, I could count on one hand the number of nights he's even been OK offensively.

For the best player in the world, I have never seen Jokić look this rattled and fatigued at the same time. 

I'm used to seeing the NBA's Superman kick butt night in and night out because he's mentally tougher and better conditioned than almost everyone. He is cold, calculating, and overwhelming when he's firing on all cylinders. 

Instead, so far, he looks like he's ripped his red cape and can't sew it back together.

Knowing Jokić, with the Nuggets' season hanging in the balance, he may turn this alarming slump around. With the lights shining brightest, no one would be surprised to see the three-time MVP put the juggernaut Thunder in a blender and, at the very least, make them sweat out what might be remembered as an all-time seven-game series. He might even win it outright by himself. Then, would anyone be surprised if the Nuggets went on to win the title? 

I don't think so. 

If there's anyone you could count on meeting this high-leverage moment, it's Jokić, one of the greatest pure basketball players we've ever seen. 

Of course, on the flip side, Jokić could finish this postseason by going out sad. After staggering the Serbian superstar center, the Thunder might finally bury him in an anticlimactic fashion. As good as Jokić is and has been before this postseason, no one would be surprised if he had nothing left in the tank after carrying the thin Nuggets through an up-and-down season of drama from the jump. 

That's the beauty of perspective. 

The Nuggets fired their head coach and general manager right before the playoffs. They effectively only have a seven-man rotation and have asked so much of their workhorse, Jokić, all year, who played the highest minutes of his entire career. Given everything they've endured, beating the L.A. Clippers in the first round was a tremendous accomplishment. Challenging (and scaring) the 68-win Thunder now is honestly one of the more impressive feats of the Jokić era Nuggets, regardless of whether they can close it out. No one even expected them to be in this position. 

So, will the rest of this Thunder series mean all that much to Jokić's all-time legacy? I don't think so. 

Unless he leads them to a remarkable upset, the Nuggets have managed to turn this tumultuous chapter with the best player they've ever had into a heartening positive. Their core featuring Jokić, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Michael Porter Jr. has shown it still has the contender juice. They've likely found their next long-term head coach, the even-keeled tactician David Adelman, someone who Jokić clearly respects and loves as a leader. 

With some roster tweaks in the summer (get these guys a real bench!), the Nuggets aren't going anywhere. Their window to compete for and win championships with Jokić and their current nucleus feels like it has been propped back open.

No matter what happens next, these Nuggets have shown Jokić they still have the juice. As Denver plays with house money against Oklahoma City, it's up to him to purely add to his legacy. 

Nothing that can happen the rest of these playoffs could ever tarnish it.

The Lottery Bonanza is here

Tonight is the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, a.k.a. the night we find out whether Cooper Flagg's professional future will be fruitful or hopeless. We here at For The Win have got you covered on every angle of this huge night for the association. 

Charles Curtis examined the best potential landing spots for Flagg. Prince Grimes has a reminder that NBA Draft Lottery odds are a bit different from a betting perspective than we're used to. Plus, here's a general look at the teams with the best chances at landing Flagg (the Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards have likely been biting their fingernails all day). 

This is where I interject with my preference for tonight's results (sorry to anyone who might get offended). 

Please, NBA, rig the lottery to ensure Flagg goes to the East. The West is an unmitigated bloodbath already. We don't need more possible generational talents in a conference rife with superstars where good teams never have a single night off. The league is so unbalanced as it stands. PLEASE send Flagg East at all costs. As LeBron James has intimated, you can do The Thing for Flagg that you already did with Derrick Rose and Patrick Ewing. 

Just... do it. OK?

Shootaround

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