The Denver Nuggets fail to inspire their home crowd yet again. After a touch-and-go win against the Pelicans, the Mile-High City failed to replicate the magic against the Warriors Monday night. This time, the blame fell on Nikola Jokic, who struggled offensively. And at the same time, Denver’s defensive problems became impossible to ignore.
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Head coach David Adelman had to address concerns surrounding his superstar while admitting that the team’s biggest failure came at the other end of the floor.
Firstly, he addressed Jokic’s concerning shooting night. (19 points, 8-for-18 FG)
“I mean, I like the ones he shot too. I mean, the majority have been wide open, not many late-clock ones. And to your point, if I’m telling him to short roll to create shots for other people, you know, that’s really good. But there’re times where he’s got to pick and pop and make their defense pay for putting five people in the paint, as opposed to making the right pass.”
Adelman refused to make the two-time MVP the scapegoat for the 114-134 loss during his post-game press conference. He stressed that Nikola Jokic’s shooting didn’t cost the game.
“In a night that sucked and we got our a** kicked, those two guys have 19 assists,” Adelman added.
“They’re trying to do the right stuff, but I do think sometimes him stepping back and shooting it, I see no issue with the shot. You know, I don’t see anything mechanical, or he hasn’t complained about any discomfort or anything like that. But he’s got to shoot them. You know, that’s the situation that he’s in. But again, I thought their floor game was okay.”
He then shifted his attention toward the actual problem that cost the game.
“It’s the defensive side. That’s it, you know, and we have to do a better job in very simplistic ways. As somebody said here, infusing, but you have to have some physicality to you, or you’re just chasing it all night. That’s what we did tonight.”
The Nuggets lacked physicality, and it showed in the numbers.
The Warriors exposed those weaknesses through their perimeter offense, particularly in small-small pick-and-roll situations. The visitors made 22 of 44 three-point attempts. And ironically, the Warriors, despite the size disadvantage, won the rebounding battle 45-32.
Those margins reflected a broader problem than Jokic’s shooting
The loss also revived an uncomfortable issue between Jokic and Denver’s supporters. Yet another embarrassment.
During the previous home game, some fans booed the Nuggets after they fell 23 points behind the New Orleans Pelicans. Denver eventually rallied for a 141-135 overtime victory, but Nikola Jokic responded by saying the fans who booed “don’t need to come anymore.”
The Warriors’ defeat gave the crowd another reason to voice its frustration. Jokic doubled down on his position after the loss, leaving the relationship between the star and the home audience under further scrutiny.
“I’m sticking to what I said… I’ve played in much worse environments…I’ve played in front of 10 people, 50 people, 100 people, 10,000, 15,000 – whatever. I’m not used to fans booing their own team,” Jokic said after the game.
“I never heard that… Probably they are, but I think they’re not the real fans”
Denver now needs to address two problems at once. Adelman’s comments made it clear that defensive effort cannot wait for the offense to find its rhythm. Secondly, winning over fans’ hearts.
The Nuggets are scheduled to face New Orleans again on Wednesday, offering an immediate chance to respond.
For now, Adelman is backing his star while demanding more from the rest of the team. Denver’s next performance will show whether the message leads to better defense.
Or another difficult night in front of its own fans.