One of the biggest preseason questions hanging over the Nuggets was simple: would Nikola Jokic’s three-point touch come back?
That shot had disappeared by the end of last season, and it was part of what hurt Denver in its series with the Minnesota Timberwolves. On Friday against the Los Angeles Lakers, Jokic gave a loud answer. The Nuggets rolled to a 121-106 win, and Jokic looked much more like the version Denver had before things went sideways late last year.
The turnaround started to make sense once the wrist issue that had followed him after the All-Star break was taken into account. Jokic returned from a 16-game absence with a knee injury, and the wrist problem showed up around the same time.
It never seemed to slow him down in every phase, but it was noticeable enough that he was often seen with an ice bag on the bench. The numbers told the story: he shot 31.6% from deep after the break and only 19.4% in the playoffs, a steep drop from the 42.0% he had put up before the All-Star break.
Against the Lakers, though, the old touch was back. Jokic hit 3 of 4 from three and finished the preseason 4-for-7 from beyond the arc. For Denver, that changes everything.
When Jokic is knocking down those shots, defenses can’t just camp a center in the paint and wait for him to take the jumper. That was part of the problem when Rudy Gobert could simply let Jokic drift out and live with the result. It crowded passing lanes and made it harder for Denver to get clean cuts or easy drives to the rim.
This time, once Jokic drilled his first three, Lakers center Walker Kessler had to respect him higher on the floor. That opened the door for more slashes and cleaner finishes near the basket, and Denver took advantage. The Nuggets piled up 56 points in the paint, which accounted for 46.3% of their total scoring.
There’s another benefit, too: fewer bruising battles inside for Jokic. If he’s forcing defenders to guard him farther out, he can avoid some of the heavy contact that tends to wear him down.
It’s a small sample, sure. But after a second half of last season that rarely looked this clean from deep, Jokic’s outing against the Lakers stood out.
The Nuggets also put together their best game of the preseason. That probably isn’t a coincidence.
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Cavs Roster Is Set But Fringe Decisions Still Stand Out
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For Denver, the moves leave the roster in compliance with regular-season limits and preserve flexibility as the final week before the season unfolds. The club is working over the second apron, so there is no urgent need to rush into filling the open standard roster spot, and the expectation is that most of these players will land with their G League affiliates once waivers clear. [Read more 🡒]