The NBA’s run of eight different champions in eight years says a lot about the league right now, and Nikola Jokic thinks the answer is pretty simple: the talent pool is deeper than ever.
Asked by Complex why the title has bounced around so much, Jokic pointed to the sheer number of good players around the league.
“I think it’s just the amount of talent that we have in NBA right now,” Jokic said. “It’s good teams, unique teams, and it’s young players, older players who still can compete in the league.”
That much is easy to see in Denver’s own story. Jokic led the Nuggets to the 2023 championship in dominant style, finishing the postseason 16-4 and sparking talk that a dynasty might be forming. Instead, the follow-up has been defined by short exits and missed chances.
A lot of that has come at the hands of Minnesota. Tim Connelly left Denver in 2022 to take over as the Timberwolves’ president of basketball operations, and he has helped build a team that has repeatedly knocked the Nuggets out.
Minnesota beat Denver in seven games in the Western Conference Semifinals in 2024, then did it again in six games in the first round in 2026. Sandwiched between those losses, the Nuggets were pushed out by the Oklahoma City Thunder in seven games in the 2025 Conference Semifinals.
Even after that defeat to the eventual champion Thunder, Denver opened the 2025-26 season viewed as a real contender. The Nuggets went 54-28 and finished third in the West, only to fall hard in the first round to Minnesota. That loss, along with Peyton Watson’s departure and a quiet offseason, has pushed them out of the championship conversation entering 2026-27.
Jokic says the way back starts with one basic requirement.
“I mean, definitely we need to stay healthy,” Jokic said. “That’s gonna be No. 1 key for us.
We failed on that part for a couple years. I think like two, three years.
Seems like we were not healthy when we needed the most. And then I think being healthy is gonna probably be the No. 1 thing.”
Injuries did matter in both 2025 and 2026. Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. were dealing with injuries against Oklahoma City, and this past postseason Watson missed the entire Minnesota series while Gordon also sat out a few games. That left Denver short-handed on the defensive end, where the group struggled in the matchup.
Watson is now gone, joining the Cleveland Cavaliers in a sign-and-trade. The Nuggets’ most notable defensive addition is Alpha Diallo, who was named EuroLeague Best Defender in 2026. Denver will need him to translate that reputation quickly if it wants to silence the doubts.
The one thing that isn’t in question is Jokic himself. In 2025-26, he averaged 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, 10.7 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game. He became the first player ever to lead the league in rebounds and assists per game in the same season, then finished second in MVP voting.
Former NBA star DeMarcus Cousins has already called the 31-year-old the clear-cut greatest offensive center ever, and Jokic keeps giving people reasons to take that seriously. Still, the Nuggets’ problem is bigger than their superstar.
The supporting cast hasn’t been enough to get them back to the top, even if Jokic doesn’t appear to be going anywhere. He is expected to sign a five-year, $359.5 million supermax contract in 2027.
In Other News...
Nuggets Just Sent A Clear Message About Their Final Roster Spot
The Nuggets have made their first clear roster call of the preseason, waiving guard Lonnie Walker IV after bringing him in on a non-guaranteed training camp deal this offseason. Walker got into three preseason games, but Denver ultimately decided not to carry him into the regular season, instead leaning toward the guards already on two-way contracts as it sorted out the back end of the roster.
For a team that has spent camp sorting through its depth options, the move leaves one open spot heading into the regular season and keeps the door cracked for another addition down the line. It also suggests Denver is comfortable with the way its guard rotation is shaping up for now, even as the final piece of the roster remains unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
DaRon Holmes Faces A Nuggets Role Crunch He Didn't Expect
DaRon Holmes arrived in Nuggets camp with a chance to carve out a useful role after missing time while recovering from an Achilles injury, but the early read on his spot in the rotation has not made things any easier. Denver has been evaluating the 24-year-old big man as part of a crowded frontcourt, and his preseason work so far has not yet separated him from the pack behind the teams established reserve options.
With the big-man rotation already tight, Holmes is fighting for every available minute, and his path may be more complicated than it first looked. The remaining preseason games now loom as an important stretch for him, because Denvers depth up front means his best chance to stick could come from showing he can handle whatever role the Nuggets need, even if it is not the one he may have expected. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Preseason Rotation Is Revealing David Adelmans Early Trust Circle
Three preseason games have already given David Adelman a clearer look at where his early trust is landing, and the Nuggets coach has not been shy about mixing and matching as he sorts out the rotation. The minutes distribution has started to tell a story, with a handful of players getting a longer runway than the rest while others are still trying to work their way into the mix.
Tyus Jones, Julian Strawther, Marvin Bagley III and Alpha Diallo have all been among the players seeing the most meaningful time, which is usually a pretty good indicator of where a coachs confidence sits this time of year. The other side of that equation is just as interesting, though, because some Nuggets are still getting their chances later in games, and Spencer Jones has yet to appear in preseason at all. [Read more 🡒]