The Denver Nuggets certainly disappointed their fans after doing nothing at the trade deadline. With Nikola Jokic posting another MVP-worthy season, there were plenty of expectations that the front office would do its best to surround him with a playoff-ready roster to maximize his peak. But by staying put at the deadline, the Nuggets will march on for the rest of the season with a roster filled with glaring holes.
But among the roster’s weaknesses, it’s safe to say that the team has a huge defensive concern at the perimeter. Thanks to the buyout market, Denver still has a chance to make some much-needed roster upgrades. As a result, the Nuggets’ fatal flaw that must be fixed after the 2025 NBA All-Star break is the lack of a two-way player.
Key departures of Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
The Nuggets are still feeling the impact of Bruce Brown’s departure after winning the 2023 NBA championship. His two-way presence was a significant factor in the team’s title run. Unfortunately for Denver, the impact of his absence grew larger when the team parted ways with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope during the offseason. Without Brown or KCP on the team, the squad’s defensive weaknesses became more obvious to opposing teams.
The trade deadline would’ve been the perfect opportunity for the Nuggets to land a player of any of Brown’s or KCP’s caliber. But surprisingly, the Nuggets’ front office decided to stay put. While this didn’t exactly sit well with Denver fans, it’s worth noting that the team doesn’t exactly have plenty of trade assets to work with in the first place. But still, that wasn’t a good enough excuse to miss out on an opportunity to upgrade a roster led by a generational talent like Jokic.
Fortunately, the Nuggets still have a chance to make some last-minute upgrades through the buyout market. However, with a loaded roster, the team doesn’t have plenty of options. Moreover, they’ll also need to cut at least one player to make room for a signing.
A good option could be Josh Richardson, who established himself as a solid 3-and-D player when healthy. Another name that pops out is one-time NBA champion Jaden Springer, who could thrive alongside Jokic.
Injuries to Peyton Watson and Russell Westbrook
Things aren’t getting any better for the Nuggets, especially when the injuries have struck the team. With the departure of KCP, the team counted on youngster Peyton Watson to guard the opposing teams’ best wings. However, he suffered a knee sprain during the team’s 137-134 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. The injury will sideline the 22-year-old guard for at least four weeks. It also remains to be seen what kind of shape Watson will be in after being cleared for play.
To make matters worse for the Nuggets, they also lost former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook to injury. In the same game against the Sixers, he strained his hamstring. Due to injury, the one-time MVP has been sidelined indefinitely with no timetable for a return. Westbrook’s absence certainly hampers the team’s depth. Furthermore, the team’s already lacking perimeter defense takes a big hit.
Without the presence of Westbrook and Watson, this ultimately puts more pressure on the Nuggets’ supporting cast to pour in more efforts on the defensive end. By now, fans and critics have realized that Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr. aren’t exactly great defenders. As a result, the lack of reliable defenders should force the core to put up great offensive nights on a consistent basis which is too much to ask for, especially when the postseason rolls by.
Denver Nuggets defense needs more teeth
Thanks to Jokic’s fine play, the reigning MVP has been a large reason for the Nuggets maintaining their contender status. But while he has been brilliant offensively, Denver has plenty of defensive concerns to address.
Statistically, the Nuggets rank 23rd in the NBA in terms of most points allowed with 115.9 per game. Moreover, the team also allows their opponents plenty of three-pointers, ranking 24th in that category. In fact, opposing teams convert 13.9 three-point field goals per game when they clash against the Mile High squad.
It’s safe to say that defense wins championships. If the team wants to win another title, there’s no question that it’s going to take a miracle for them to win another one if they continue to allow the same amount of points in the playoffs. As a result, adding a two-way player can surely help mitigate the roster’s defensive weaknesses.
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