Nikola Jokic is already doing the kind of behind-the-scenes work that makes him so hard to box in. As the Nuggets opened training camp in Boulder, the reigning basketball mind was watching everything - not just the live action, but the details that usually go unnoticed.
When Jokic was asked after the team’s first practice how closely he was tracking the newcomers and younger players, he made it clear he’s been paying attention from every angle.
"To be honest, a lot," Jokic said. I think they don't even know, but really, even when they shoot with the coaches, even when they lift, I really pay attention what they are doing. How they reacting."
That kind of constant scanning is part of what separates Jokic from everyone else. He doesn’t just see possessions; he sees habits, tendencies and the tiny shifts that hint at what a teammate can do next. If someone is putting in extra work in the weight room, Jokic notices that too, and it becomes part of how he reads the floor and delivers those precise passes that turn into easy baskets.
This year, he’s got plenty to study. With the new additions and the two-way players, the Nuggets have seven new faces for him to learn.
Even so, Jokic doesn’t sound like someone facing a steep climb. He said he already feels comfortable with the starting five, calling that group “second nature.”
That’s a good sign for Denver, especially after the starters missed a combined 136 games last season. The more familiar Jokic is with the group around him, the easier it should be for him to do what he does best: squeeze every last bit out of the roster.
The first real look at how it all fits together comes October 4th, when the Nuggets face the Utah Jazz in their first preseason game in front of the fans in Boulder.
In Other News...
Nuggets Guard Rotation Just Got More Interesting Behind Jamal Murray
The Nuggets made a small but meaningful roster tweak this week, adding 23-year-old point guard Ryan Nembhard on a two-way contract as they continue shaping the guard mix behind Jamal Murray. To make room, Denver waived KJ Simpson, a move that underscores how seriously the team is taking the search for backcourt depth and steady ballhandling as training camp continues.
Nembhard arrived with some momentum after a notable rookie season with the Dallas Mavericks, and he has already been around the Nuggets' camp with an eye on broadening his game. He has talked about sharpening his defense and shooting, while veteran forward Cameron Johnson has pointed to the way Nembhard can create for others and bring another dimension to the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
David Adelman Shares What Nuggets Took From Coach Prime Visit
Deion Sanders made a stop at Nuggets training camp practice this week, bringing a little cross-sport energy to a group already settling into its preseason work. David Adelman said the visit mattered because Sanders did not just show up for a photo opportunity, but shared a message the team could take into the grind of the year ahead, the kind of reminder that tends to land when it comes from someone who has spent so much time around high-level competition.
Sanders also singled out Nikola Jokic during the visit, praising the star centers performance and reliability in the biggest moments. For the Nuggets, hearing that kind of respect from one of Colorados most recognizable coaches only adds to the sense that Jokics reputation reaches well beyond basketball, even as Adelman and company continue building toward the season with those outside voices floating through the gym. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Nembhard Already Has A Sneaky Important Role For Denver
Ryan Nembhard may not be in Denver for the sort of headline-grabbing role that turns heads in October, but he already has a clear job in camp. Coach David Adelman said the guard will be used in practice as a quick, pesky test case, the kind of smaller ballhandler the Nuggets need to handle better as they sharpen their pick-and-roll defense. It is the sort of behind-the-scenes assignment that can matter in a league where so many problems start with a guard getting downhill too easily.
The fit makes plenty of sense after Nembhards performance against Denver last season with Dallas, when he gave the Nuggets trouble as a playmaker and scorer. Denver has been looking closely at how to defend faster guards, and rookie Alpha Diallo has been part of the defensive example the staff wants to lean on. Nembhards role may be temporary and mostly internal, but for a team trying to get sturdier at the point of attack, those reps can carry real weight. [Read more 🡒]