The Nuggets’ early-season issues have been easy to pin on DeMar DeRozan, but that only tells part of the story.
Denver brought in DeRozan this summer on a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal, and the fit has been rough so far. He’s sitting at a team-worst minus-36 on the season, and in a little more than 191 minutes on the floor, the Nuggets have been outscored by 36 points. That’s a tough line for any veteran wing to carry.
Still, the bigger problem in Denver goes beyond one player. DeRozan’s numbers are ugly, but they also reflect a much broader issue: the Nuggets’ depth simply hasn’t been strong enough.
Through nine games, Denver is 5-4, a start that falls short of the standard this group has for itself. The team wants to be in the championship mix, and while the starting lineup and rookie Trevon Brazile have done their part, the rest of the roster has not held up its end.
That split shows up in the plus/minus numbers. The starters and Brazile have been the positive side of the ledger, while everyone else has been on the wrong end of things when they’ve been on the court. And DeRozan is hardly alone there.
Tyus Jones is minus-33. Bryce Hopkins is minus-18.
Marvin Bagley III is minus-12. That’s the reality of Denver’s bench and reserve group right now, and it hasn’t been good enough.
Nikola Jokic is still playing at a very level, and Jamal Murray has been playing some of the best basketball of his career. Even with that, the Nuggets are only barely above .500.
There’s a long way to go this season, but the opening stretch has made one thing clear: DeRozan is not the whole problem. He’s just the most visible example of the Nuggets’ depth issues behind the starting five.
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Nuggets Just Exposed An Early Road Problem Fans Will Notice
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What stood out was how thin the margin for error looked away from home. Denver had trouble on the glass and did not get enough help beyond its two stars, a combination that can make even a talented roster look vulnerable early in the road schedule. It is the kind of issue that tends to show up quickly and linger if it is not cleaned up. [Read more 🡒]
DeMar DeRozan's Fit Next To Jokic Is Becoming A Real Concern
The Nuggets 110-100 loss to the Rockets was another reminder of how heavily they are leaning on Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray to carry the offense. Those two combined for 63 of Denvers 100 points, while the rest of the rotation never found a steady rhythm. DeMar DeRozan was part of that quiet group, and his night fit the larger problem of Denver not getting enough from the supporting cast when the stars are forced to do so much.
DeRozans presence was supposed to give the Nuggets another reliable half-court option, but the fit has been harder to pin down as the offense has bogged down in lineups with him and Jokic together. The numbers have pointed in an uncomfortable direction, with Denver performing worse when DeRozan is on the floor, especially in those shared minutes with Jokic. For a team trying to maximize a title window, that is the kind of trend that cant be brushed aside for long. [Read more 🡒]
Jokic Rumors Are Becoming A Bigger Nuggets Problem Than Fans Wanted
Nikola Jokics long-term future in Denver has become a real talking point around the league, and it is arriving at an awkward moment for the Nuggets. Insiders such as Tim Kawakami and Jake Fischer have both raised the possibility that Jokic may not be eager to lock in a long-term extension, which is the kind of noise a team would rather not hear when it is trying to settle into the season and find its footing after a slow start.
The concern for Denver is not just the rumor itself, but how quickly it can turn into a bigger organizational issue if the uncertainty lingers. Jokic remains the franchise centerpiece, and any hint that his timeline could be less secure naturally draws attention from other teams, including Golden State, while putting even more pressure on the Nuggets to steady things on the court and keep the conversation from drifting beyond basketball. [Read more 🡒]